


No Kingdom to Come

by WarlordFelwinter



Series: Destiny / Iron Lords [8]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, M/M, and everyone dies like 6 times a day, major character death because it's destiny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23717767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarlordFelwinter/pseuds/WarlordFelwinter
Summary: Mostly a self-indulgent Felwinter/Timur slowburn but also an exploration of Felwinter's joining of the Iron Lords and the SIVA incident
Relationships: Lord Felwinter/Lord Timur
Series: Destiny / Iron Lords [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/883632
Comments: 37
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

"Timur!"

The warlock startled out of his reverie, looking at Jolder. It didn't sound like it was the first time she had called his name. She waved a hand in front of his eyes and he batted it away, annoyed.

"Just making sure you're still in there," she said, grinning. "You've been staring at the wall for half an hour."

"I'm not staring at the wall," Timur replied. "I'm thinking."

"Looked like staring at the wall," she said, with a shrug. "Pre-battle nerves?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to remember what she was talking about. A battle? Right... Segoth. Perun had a plan. Timur had not been involved in this plan. He assumed his role was to stand back with the townsfolk and make sure they didn't get slaughtered if Perun's plan went south. Her plans rarely did, and as such Timur had little to be nervous about.

Timur was not nervous, but he was distracted. He had entirely forgotten about the confrontation coming the next day. His thoughts were occupied entirely by a single person. A fascinating creature he had encountered several times in the Mothyards; an exo Warlord by the name of Felwinter. He had last seen him a few weeks prior, when they had agreed to assist each other with their respective projects, and Felwinter had told Timur not to seek him out. He had not heard from the Warlord since.

Timur was not a patient person and he had nearly reached the end of his nerves waiting for Felwinter to contact him. Not that this was a concern he could bring up with Jolder, or any of the others. The Iron Lords had formed with a mission to eradicate the Warlords, either by gaining them as allies, or chasing them off. Timur had made no effort to convert Felwinter, either of the times they had met. Felwinter struck him as a unique individual among the Warlords. He did not seem a violent despot, though, to be fair, Timur knew very little about him. No one did. He was a dark horse, of sorts, and Timur found himself equally curious about the exo himself as he was about the help Felwinter could provide toward his other pursuits.

If the other Iron Lords found out Timur was associating with a Warlord, they would not be pleased with him.

So he replied, "Something like that."

Jolder smiled. "Segoth's a monster, but Perun's plan is sound. We'll be fine." She patted his shoulder, possibly a little harder than she meant to, and then left him to his thoughts.

Timur got to his feet, dusting off his robes. He walked down the hall away from the main room, where he could hear the echoes of cheerful conversation. They had moved again, currenly occupying a small ruined town hidden deep in the forests of eastern Europe. Their numbers were still too small to rebuff a large-scale attack. Timur didn't mind being on the run. He got bored easily if he had to stay in one place too long.

He passed Gheleon on the way out. The hunter was sitting on the front stoop of the house, sharpening one of his knives. He gave Timur a nod as he passed, but said nothing. The town was dark and quiet in the night, lit by the moon as it rose above the trees. Timur's footsteps echoed through the empty houses, amplifying the air of desertion. So much had been left abandoned by the Collapse. He wondered what people had lived in this town. How had their lives been during the Golden Age? Often the only thing out of that time that people considered were the technological advances, the scientists. But there were always the quieter places. Normal people living normal lives. He wondered, idly, what that was like.

The wood floor of the old house creaked as Timur stepped inside. He passed through a rotting doorframe into the living room. He paused, looking over the decaying furniture, and the peeling wallpaper. Framed paintings still hung on the walls, and there were photos on the mantle. He walked over to the fireplace, picking up a small frame and gently brushing dust from the glass. The photo behind it was of two women, holding each other, both caught in the middle of a laugh. Timur sat the photo back down and walked through into the kitchen.

His attention was caught immediately by the sound of a transmat and a flash of light, that left a piece of paper on the countertop.

"Trace that," he said.

_[ On it. ]_

Timur walked over and picked up the paper. It wasn't handwriting he recognized, but it was clean.

_Timur—Meet me on the Forgotten Shore._

The note wasn't signed. Though Timur had not been nervous when Jolder had asked him earlier, his heart was pounding now. He waited impatiently for his Ghost to reply.

 _[ Nothing, ]_ Coyote said, apologetically. _[_ _I couldn't trace it. ]_

"You did your best. Can we make it to the Cosmodrome without the ship?" If Timur was right about who the summons was from, he anticipated he would be gone at least for the night. The others may need the jumpship for the battle in the morning, and, more importantly, if he moved the ship, they would be alerted to it.

Coyote made an uncertain noise. _[ Yeah, I can probably ping your transmat off it without moving it. ]_

"Probably?"

_[ Definitely. ]_

"Back to Russia it is, then," Timur said, folding up the note and tucking it into his robes.

_[ Sure thing, boss. You wanna tell the others you're leaving? ]_

Timur hesitated. He should, he knew. He had a responsibility to the Iron Lords, that he had agreed to those years ago when Radegast had found him alone in the wilds. He had been a wandering stray back then, mind filled with dreams of the glory of the past and no way to realize his visions. The Iron Lords gave him the resources he lacked, and he, in return, had agreed to share any of his discoveries, promising them power enough to realize their ambitions.

He was also certain, however, that Radegast would not approve of him running off before a battle. He would insist it could wait. And Timur couldn't tell him the true reason he was leaving.

"No," he decided.

 _[ Your funeral, ]_ Coyote said pleasantly, and initiated the transmat.

A few moments later, Timur found himself standing at the edge of a frozen sea. Apart from the wind, howling through the rusting hulks behind him, his boots crunching in the snow was the only sound in the cold night air. He walked out onto the ice and swept some snow off the surface with a foot, wondering what was lost beneath the surface.

_[ Look out. ]_

Timur turned around, helmet appearing around his head, grabbing his pistol from his belt and aiming it. He lowered it almost immediately, as the Warlord lifted his hands. Timur holstered his gun and smiled, having Coyote remove his helmet.

"I wouldn't have expected you to have such a flair for the dramatic," he said, holding up the paper and raising an eyebrow. "An anonymous note? Really?"

"And yet here you are," Felwinter replied, removing his own helmet. His expression was unreadable. Last time they had met, Timur had gotten quite close and been able to see the mobility of the various metal plates that made up the exo's face. He thought, if he spent enough time with Felwinter, he might learn to read his expressions.

"Here I am," Timur agreed. "Amongst rusted out ships turned into Fallen traps. Why, exactly?"

Felwinter stepped closer, though he stayed on the shore. "The location is not of consequence. I've already found all there is to find here. I wanted to be sure you came, and you came alone."

"Of course," Timur said. "As we agreed, the Iron Lords know nothing of you. And, though I can't imagine they'll be pleased with me for disappearing before a fight, I'll come up with some excuse."

The orange glow of Felwinter's eyes flickered momentarily. He had seemingly purposefully shut off all the other lights in his throat and face, though Timur knew from experience that they could change patterns and brightness when he was speaking, or, perhaps, with emotion. _Light patterns_ , he thought, making a mental note to watch those as well.

"Good," Felwinter said. "Then follow me, I have something to show you."

He took a step back and vanished in the whorls of light of a transmat. Timur's Ghost appeared next to him.

"His Ghost gave me some coordinates," he said. "Northern Europe."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Timur asked.

Coyote looked at him uncertainly. "You sure this is a good idea? I mean, he is a Warlord."

Timur smiled. "You're starting to sound like Radegast," he said. "What happened to your sense of adventure?"

The Ghost vanished. _[ Fine, fine. ]_ Timur felt the bizarre warping sense as he was transmatted again, though his surroundings didn't seem to have changed much when they solidified again. More snow. He glanced up briefly, watching the aurora, before trudging up the hill to join the waiting Warlord at the entrance of a bunker built into the side of a mountain. The metal of the door bore signs of recent trespassing.

Felwinter turned, saying nothing as Timur approached, and opened the door, disappearing inside. Timur followed. The room he found himself in was dark, lit only by the light of Felwinter's Ghost as it appeared and cast it's glow around.

"Close the door," Felwinter said. "There are Fallen in these mountains, I don't want them following us."

Timur pushed the door closed and heard a lock engage. "Where are we?" he asked, watching Felwinter pull open a panel on the wall. He flipped a few switches and then pulled a larger one. Something snapped, and the lights came on.

"Warmind facility," Felwinter said quietly, as a concierge AI greeted them in a few different languages.

Timur looked at him sharply. "You found a Warmind bunker?"

"No. This facility appears to have been dedicated to research regarding the Warminds. It predates them." Felwinter walked over to the elevator and laid a gloved hand on the card reader. After a moment, it flashed green and the doors opened. Timur followed him in. The doors slid shut and they began to descend.

"My own travels have brought me close. There is at least one bunker in the Cosmodrome, though I believe the Warmind has since vacated it, if it survived the Collapse."

"You're not certain," Timur said. "You need my help finding access credentials?"

Felwinter nodded, as the elevator doors opened. They stepped out into what was ostensibly a cavern of aisles lined with servers. Timur exhaled, watching his breath cloud out into the icy air. He could hear the echoes of water dripping as the computers booted up and began to melt the ice coating their casings. Immediately, he could see why Felwinter had brought him along. Even with a Ghost, this was a lot of information to dig through. He was definitely going to be here all night.

Timur stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Let's get started then. Where do you want me?"

* * *

"He's not answering his comms."

Radegast nodded. Perun sat down on the steps nearby, also watching the empty street, waiting for the absent warlock. He had already attempted to track Timur's Ghost, to no avail. The man was good at hiding, when he wanted to be, so Radegast wasn't necessarily worried for his safety. He was more annoyed that Timur had vanished without a word. They had not ended up needing him during the fight with Segoth, but if they had, he would have been gone.

Timur was a wanderer. It hadn't been that long since Radegast had found and recruited him. He had encountered the warlock in the wilds, under the Traveler, where Timur was taking notes on its markings. Radegast had endured an hour long lecture about Timur's theories about Light, during which he had decided the Iron Lords could use Timur's passion and ambition. The warlock had readily agreed to join, but it was clear he was still unused to being part of a team and often went off by himself. It didn't normally bother Radegast, because it didn't normally endanger lives.

A flash of light and the distinct sound of a transmat got his attention, and he looked up as Timur appeared in front of the house. He glanced between Radegast and Perun and smiled.

"How was the fight?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"It went well," Radegast said. "I doubt Segoth will be any further trouble."

"Excellent," Timur said. He tried to step past them and go inside and Radegast grabbed his arm. Perun got up and went inside, closing the door behind.

"Where were you?" Radegast asked.

"Research trip," Timur said vaguely, attempting to wiggle out of Radegast's grip. The titan only tightened it. "That's why I'm here, isn't it? To provide the magic of the Golden Age for the Iron Lords' benefit?"

"You're here to _be_ an Iron Lord," Radegast said. "You have yet to understand what that means."

"Your plan didn't need me," Timur said. "I was assured I would be allowed to continue my research in my free time."

Radegast sighed and let him go. "And you are, of course. The assumption being that you might at least _tell_ us before you disappear. If Perun had been wrong, we might have needed you."

"Oo, if Perun had been wrong? Better not let her hear you say that."

Radegast chuckled. "Tell me, next time, before you disappear."

Timur nodded. "Of course."

"Did you find anything of interest?"

Timur looked thoughtful. "Many things," he murmured. He seemed more distracted than usual, and then shook himself and smiled. "But nothing useful."


	2. Chapter 2

"Why don't we ever go someplace warm?"

Felwinter glanced at Timur as he groused, but ultimately ignored him. Timur crossed his arms more tightly across his chest, lowering his head. Felwinter was faring somewhat better in the cold, though he could feel his internal systems running more vigorously than usual as he tried to keep himself warm. And he was actually dressed for the cold. Timur was dressed like he was fairly confident his Light would keep him warm, and therefore had no one to blame but himself for hearing 'Siberia' and thinking light-weight robes would suffice.

_[ We're close. ]_

Felwinter looked up as Felspring spoke. She nudged his gaze toward a slight shadow in the blizzard, outlining it in his HUD. They had discovered the vague location of this facility within the Scandinavian archive a few weeks prior. It was not related to the Warminds, but rather to a prototype technology Timur had found mention of. Timur was certain Felwinter was trying to _find_ a Warmind and for the time being Felwinter was keen to let him keep believing that. He wasn't disappointed that Timur's help had turned up so little, but it was eerie in a way that everything led to a dead end. He knew they were playing with him.

And so, he was taking a break, and catering toward Timur's interests. Thus far, the Iron Lord hadn't complained. He seemed more than happy to study the exo himself; always watching, dissecting every movement and word. Felwinter had to wonder how many notes Timur had on him. So this trip was selfish, in a way. Felwinter hoped to push Timur's focus _away_ from him for a little while.

Timur quickened his pace and jumped, gliding the rest of the way to the door, clearly impatient. As Felwinter caught up, he had his Ghost out, hacking the console on the door while Timur used a handful of Light to melt the ice around the frame.

The console flashed green and Felwinter heard machinery in the door groan. Some sort of technology that was likely designed to keep this door able to open even if it was frozen. Obviously it no longer worked. Timur pushed against it, trying to force the frozen, ancient gears to move. Felwinter walked over and lightly batted him out of the way. He braced his hands against the door and shoved. With a tortured shriek, the old machinery gave way and he was able to push the door open far enough for them to get inside. He stepped back and rolled his shoulders. He looked at Timur and gestured at the open doorway.

"Show off," the warlock said, after a moment. He walked past Felwinter, going inside. Almost immediately, his Ghost appeared next to him and cast light around, as Timur searched for a lightswitch.

Felwinter closed the door against the snow. He removed his helmet and adjusted his vision to the dark. He looked at Timur and found him crouching at the door of a security check booth, fiddling with the lock. It was interesting to watch him. More baffling, as Felwinter couldn't figure out _why_ he was picking the lock when he could break the glass, or have his Ghost open the door.

"Look at how intact this is," Timur said, excitedly, as if to answer Felwinter's unspoken question. "It's so rare to find places that haven't been completely torn apart by the Fallen."

The door clicked open and Timur went inside, searching around for a moment before the lights flickered on. His Ghost took over, breaking into the computer system. Felwinter heard doors opening further inside. Timur was examining a photo sitting on the desk.

"Look at this," he said.

Felwinter leaned around him and looked at the picture. Three humans, two adults and a child. Timur looked at him somewhat expectantly and then his expression shifted.

"Ah. Nevermind. Have you ever thought about the people who used to work in these places we find? This security guard and her family? Do you suppose they survived?"

"It hardly matters now," Felwinter said.

"And that is hardly the point," Timur countered. He sighed. "Coyote?"

"Excuse me?"

"No, my Ghost."

The Ghost turned. "What? Oh, sorry. There's a lot here. I found a map."

"Excellent, let me see." Timur leaned closer to the flickering computer monitor, squinting at the map his Ghost displayed. "A lot of labs... I wonder what all they researched here... Techno-biological... that could be interesting..."

As he muttered to himself, Felwinter picked up one of each of the colored guest access cards. The colors seemed to correspond to various levels of secrecy.

"SIVA?" Timur glanced up at his Ghost, who gave a small shrug of his shell. "Sounds like the name of a heavily redacted prototype technology, doesn't it?" He straightened up, flashing a grin at Felwinter. Felwinter thought about the wolf pack that lived on his mountain, that bared their teeth in warning. He was starting to think Timur's grin was a sign of danger as well, though in a different sense.

Timur led the way deeper into the facility, and it wasn't long before he got an answer to his question about what had happened to the people who worked here.

"These look like dormitories," he said as they walked through a common area, occasionally poking his head into a room. "I think these scientists _lived_ here. I suppose that makes sense. Commuting to Siberia wouldn't be—ah." He broke off with a sigh of realization. Felwinter looked past him into the room and saw the body, long since decayed to bones, still clad in a uniform. As they carried on, they found more, and Timur came to the conclusion that they had been locked in during the Collapse. The facility seemed to have been constructed out of an old missile silo, easily converted into a sealed bunker. In such a remote area, they would have relied on supplies being brought in, which almost certainly stopped during the Collapse, leaving them to starve.

They spent hours exploring the living areas, simply because Timur kept getting distracted. He talked the entire time, rambling on about how they must have lived, and making delighted exclamations about how pristine everything was despite being centuries old. Felwinter found little interest in the things Timur was talking about, but it was fascinating to watch the warlock himself as he puzzled out the daily life of these long dead people.

 _[ He sure talks a lot. How do the Iron Lords stand it? ]_ Felspring muttered in Felwinter's mind.

"We should keep moving," Felwinter said, aloud, startling both Timur and his Ghost, who was darting around the room taking pictures.

"Right," Timur said. "Good idea."

He led them down a curved hallway to another elevator where he inserted one of the red keycards and pushed the button for the lowest level. As they went down, tinny music began to play over the speakers, and Timur laughed at the absurdity of it.

"You seem quite fascinated by mundane history," Felwinter commented.

"I wouldn't call it mundane," Timur replied. "The Golden Age left us a lot of secrets in terms of earth-shattering technology, which is all very interesting, but it is exciting to find evidence of the _people_ , isn't it? To see what they ate, what they wore, what books they read... how they _lived_ while they were creating these treasures." He was quiet for a moment. "Everyone needs a hobby. You probably do."

Felwinter made a noncommital noise. Felspring appeared next to him, apparently having gotten bored being incorporeal.

"We have hobbies," she said defensively.

"Do you?" Timur asked, with a sly smile.

Felwinter put a hand over his Ghost and pushed her away a foot, trying to shush her. She simply vanished and reappeared out of reach, ruffling her shell in an offended manner. The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. Timur stepped out, immediately distracted from their conversation. Felwinter followed, and both of their Ghosts drifted after them, talking quietly to each other. Any of the times he had met Timur, their Ghosts had kept to themselves. Felspring tended to be quiet. She was the one who had taught Felwinter about how dangerous other risen were and always stayed out of sight around other Warlords. He wondered what it was about Timur and his Ghost that made her more friendly.

The lower level of the bunker was designed around a central, circular laboratory, with offices and smaller labs on the other side of the hallway. Through another security checkpoint, they found a door into the main lab, that was marked with a myriad of warning signs. Timur opened the door with one of the keycards and they stepped into sort of airlock chamber. The inner door bore placards demanding in large red letters that anyone entering wear the appropriate safety gear.

"This bodes well," Timur commented, opening the door and stepping into the laboratory.

Felwinter wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he was unimpressed. It looked like the lab had been abandoned long before the Collapse. Most of the equipment had been cleaned out. Timur let out an annoyed noise and headed straight across the lab to one of the computer stations, setting his Ghost to hack in. Felwinter sent Felspring to do the same on another station while he examined some of the tools left on one of the tables. It seemed to be a robotics laboratory, from what little remained.

Timur sat down at the computer as his Ghost pulled up pages of research, his gaze flicking more rapidly over the words and diagrams than Felwinter would have expected from a human.

"Self-replicating nanomachines?" Timur murmured. "They only did a few trials here, before moving the project to a facility designed specifically for it... but _where_?" He started digging through messages sent between scientists and executives of Clovis Bray. "Ah, here we go. Site 6... It's in Russia, but that seems to be the most information they passed through here." He sighed, frowning.

"Is it worth finding?"

"SIVA was one of a few projects started here. Self-assembling nanomachines capable of tearing down matter and rebuilding it in a new image. Imagine that! You could construct an entire city within minutes! If it had the ability to alter the state of matter, you could ostensibly make _anything_. If we can find this, we could change the world. Build a new, better world! Hell, maybe we could even bring the Traveler back to life." He stood up, turning to Felwinter. "Think of all the old mysteries that are now ours to solve anew! Is it _worth finding_?" he echoed, and then laughed, with that wild grin that spoke of danger.

A warning to Felwinter to keep his distance, whether Timur meant it or not. And an infectious excitement, that left Felwinter keen to ignore his misgivings. He inclined his head slightly.

"Fine," he said. "Where do we start?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm going to kill him."

Radegast glanced at Jolder as she paced the courtyard. He exhaled, trying not to let her anger influence his mood. He was irritated, and equally worried, and he wasn't sure which should take precedent. They had missed an opening on a particularly reclusive and violent Warlord because their jumpship had gone missing, leaving them without any way to reach him before he went underground again. The fact that their ability to track the ship was being blocked, and Timur was missing again, led to a fairly obvious conclusion.

The concern, for Radegast, came when he considered the past few months. Timur had been leaving more and more and when he was around he was quiet and secretive. He was up to something and Radegast doubted it was research. His mind immediately went to the worst place—that Timur was betraying them. He told himself that probably wasn't true, and hoped Timur could assuage his worry when he returned.

His Ghost alerted him to the ship's return and a moment later, the errant warlock transmatted into the courtyard. Almost immediately, he yelped and ducked out of the way of Jolder's fist.

"Jolder," Radegast said sharply, standing up.

"I wasn't kidding," she said, turning around, lightning crackling in her clenched fists. "Efrafra got away because of him. That could be lives lost because of whatever sneaky shit he keeps disappearing to do that he won't tell us about."

Radegast held up a hand. "I know, just hang on." He looked at Timur, who looked decidedly nervous with his gaze fixed on Jolder. "She's right. It's time you told us where you keep going."

"I told you. Research trips," Timur replied. "It's not like I'm going to the same place all the time. Would you like a list?"

Jolder made a frustrated noise and Efrideet walked over and grabbed her arm, dragging her away.

"I would like to know when you're going to leave and where you're going," Radegast said. "And why you've been keeping it a secret. Our numbers aren't large enough to afford traitors, Timur. I need to be able to trust you."

Timur's eyes widened slightly. " _Traitors_?" he echoed, with a laugh in his voice. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Radegast said nothing, holding his gaze steadily. Timur exhaled sharply, looking angry for a moment. He averted his gaze, expression shifting a few times before it smoothed into something difficult to read.

"Fine," he said, crossing his arms. "I've been looking into a Golden Age technology called SIVA. From what I've found, they're self-replicating nanomachines able to create practically anything from very little. I've yet to _find_ any, so I didn't think it was worth wasting your time with until I could actually produce some results."

"Sounds promising. Why have you been hiding it?"

"I... may be using some... unscrupulous methods for research that I wasn't sure you would approve of."

Radegast narrowed his eyes. "Such as?"

Timur replied in another language. Something harsh and guttural, almost a bark. He grinned at Radegast's evident surprise.

"You speak Fallen?" he asked. He supposed he wasn't that surprised. Timur was a well-spring of unexpected and bizarre knowledge.

"Eliksni, actually, but yes," Timur said. "They know quite a bit about what we left behind in the Collapse. For the right price or... uh... _coercion._ "

"Ah," Radegast said. With anyone else, that might mean torture. But he had seen Timur impose his will over the Fallen before. It was disturbing to watch. He had never used that particular ability on a human, as far as Radegast knew, but he thought that was just due to personal morals and not because he couldn't.

"And that's all?" he asked.

"That's all," Timur agreed. He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes that Radegast didn't like. His gaze was guarded. Wary, almost. He was hiding something. Radegast forced a smile and nodded.

"Good," he said. "Next time, tell me when you're leaving. I promised you support in your research, but you have to let us help."

"Of course," Timur said, inclining his head. "I'm sorry."

Radegast waved a dismissive hand. "We'll find Efrafra again. In the meantime, we have other concerns. You may want to lay low for a while until Jolder calms down."

Timur chuckled, leaving the courtyard and heading inside. After the door closed, Radegast summoned his Ghost.

"Lock both of them out of the jumpship controls," he said, meaning Timur and his Ghost. "And find Gheleon for me."

"Gheleon's outside," his Ghost replied before disappearing again, presumably to work on the jumpship. It would take some doing to keep Coyote out of anything. Timur's Ghost was particularly talented at breaking into things.

Radegast left the courtyard and headed outside. It didn't take much looking for him to find Gheleon. The hunter had set up a few makeshift targets in the pavilion, using armor he had scavenged off of Fallen, and was throwing his knives at them. Radegast watched for a moment as three blades lodged into the captain's helm, one rapidly after another. Gheleon relaxed and walked over to the target, retrieving his knives.

"What do you want?" he asked, not looking at Radegast as he pulled the blades out and inspected the marks they had left in the helmet.

"I have a job for you," Radegast said.

Gheleon turned, sheathing two knives and tossing the third into the air, catching it, and tossing it again as he walked back over. He said nothing, but his gaze was expectant.

"I need you to keep an eye on Timur," he said.

Gheleon raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he asked.

Radegast nodded. "He came back, and told me what he's been doing. I want to believe him, but he's still hiding something. I need to know if we can trust him. Follow him, see what he does, don't let him know you're there."

Gheleon sheathed his knife. "And if we can't trust him?" he asked, his tone making it clear what he was asking.

"Then I'll deal with him," Radegast said. He didn't want to lose Timur if he didn't have to. As faltering as his assistance had been lately, the warlock was a powerful asset. And more importantly, Radegast considered him a friend. He didn't know what he had done to lose Timur's trust, and he wished he could afford to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he couldn't put one man above the rest of them. If Timur was doing something that could put their operation at risk, he needed to know.

"If you say so. Where is he now?"

"His room, I think. Avoiding Jolder."

Gheleon chuckled. "Have you considered letting her knock some sense into him?" He pulled something out of his belt pouch and started fiddling with it. Radegast recognized it as a piece of tech he had taken off a vandal a few days prior—a cloaking device.

"If he deserves it, she won't be the only one in line."


	4. Chapter 4

"Coffee, please."

Timur held out his cup without looking up, his gaze focused on the sketchpad in his lap. For a moment, the rasp of pencil scratching over paper was the only sound and then there was the familiar swish of a transmat and he felt his cup get heavier.

"Thank you."

"I hope the Traveler can see you using me as a butler," Coyote grumbled.

Timur smiled. "You never should have showed me that trick," he agreed, taking a sip of his coffee and setting the mug down next to him. He leaned forward, looking through the telescope and comparing the designs he had drawn. He corrected a few lines and rechecked.

"I regret it every day," Coyote lamented. "You have company, by the by."

"What?" Timur looked at his Ghost and then looked the other way as someone sat down next to him. He stared at the exo for a moment, wondering how exactly Felwinter kept tracking him down, and ultimately not minding. His company was rare, but Timur had come to enjoy it.

"Find anything?" Timur asked, assuming Felwinter had come with some news about SIVA. His own search had proved fruitless thus far. Russia was big, and wherever Site 6 was, it was well hidden.

"No," Felwinter said. He was looking at the Traveler.

"Did you need something, then? You know the Iron Lords aren't far away." Timur returned his attention to his sketch. They had come back under the Traveler, escorting some refugees to the relative safety that existed here, and had decided to stay a while to defend them after hearing a rumor of a Warlord looking to move into the Traveler's territory. Nothing had come of it, perhaps because of the Iron Lords' presence—their reputation had grown, of late—but Timur wasn't complaining about the lull. It allowed him time to study the Traveler.

"No," Felwinter said, again. "And your wolf pack is keeping itself busy with scavengers on the outskirts."

"Are you certain of that?" Timur asked, glancing at Coyote for confirmation. "I enjoy your company, of course, but I'd rather not have any of them wandering up and finding me having coffee with you." He took another drink, imagining how that conversation might go. What little conversation there would be. The Iron Lords loved their laws. Strict decrees to keep them from accidentally becoming Warlords themselves. Timur was routinely breaking quite a few of them these days. His hand faltered slightly as he set the cup down, thinking what Radegast might do if he knew what Timur was doing.

Felwinter looked at him. "I make an effort to keep a low profile. I imagine they would just think me another stray. Rest assured, I'm not eager to meet them, either."

Coyote shrugged, shifting his shell around. "He's right."

Timur smiled. "All right, then. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Boredom," Felwinter replied. "You've got them scared. They're too worried about their own territory to bother with mine. I'm sure it wasn't your intent, but it's been beneficial for me. I've actually been able to sleep."

"Exos sleep?" Timur asked curiously, making a mental note.

"Occasionally," Felwinter said. His tone didn't seem amicable to more questions. Timur knew the exo got frustrated with his constant questioning and studying sometimes. He couldn't help it. Felwinter was fascinating.

He changed the topic. "You know, I don't think you've ever told me where your territory is."

"Why would I? Most of the other Warlords don't even know. I like to keep it that way."

Timur smiled. "You can trust _me_ , can't you? Radegast and the others are starting to question. I've had to come up with quite a few excuses. I haven't told them about you yet, what makes you think I'd tell them where you live?"

Felwinter looked at him for a moment and his running lights flickered slightly, in a way Timur had come to associate with amusement.

"I call it Felwinter Peak," he said. "And I don't trust anyone."

Timur laughed. "Humble," he said. "I imagine I won't find that on any maps."

"Probably not," Felwinter agreed. He didn't elaborate on where Felwinter Peak was, and Timur guessed a name was the best he was going to get. It gave him little more than he had gotten from papers he had found in another Warlord's office. Paranoid notes she had kept on all the other known Warlords. Felwinter; the dark horse; holds a mountain by himself; Risen who cross the borders don't come back.

Timur thought it probably said something about him personally that he found those rumors intriguing. Perhaps it was because he had thus far managed not to be killed by Felwinter. He might find that danger less exciting if the shotgun was aimed at him.

He looked through the telescope again, comfortable in the quiet that settled around them. He moved it a little and started on the next part of his sketch. Felwinter didn't speak, staying an inhumanly still presence next to him, looking up at the Traveler, his lights dim. Timur took that to mean he was content. His lights tended to get brighter the more worked up he was.

"What are you doing?" Felwinter asked, after a few long minutes.

"Taking notes," Timur said, showing him the sketch as it was so far.

"Why not just have your Ghost take a photo?"

Timur smiled. "Boredom," he replied. Felwinter huffed, lights guttering in his throat. "Putting the patterns down myself lets me find meaning in them," he explained, tearing his gaze away from the dancing lights. "Whether it's really there, or I'm making it up, I'm not sure yet. But they've changed since last time I was here."

"Why?"

"Why has it changed? I have no idea. Exciting, isn't it?" Timur grinned and looked up at the looming machine. "One day I'll figure you out."

"Do you ever question why it chose you?" Felwinter asked. He summoned a small ball of Light and tossed it idly between his hands.

"Sometimes," Timur said. He took a sip of coffee and looked disappointedly at it. It had gone cold. He sat it aside and stared at his drawing, thinking about Felwinter's question. "The choices seem random. People with a preexisting capacity for weilding Light. But what is it in someone that determines that? Something physical? In that case, one risen exo would mean every exo would be risen. Maybe they are, just not here. I've only seen you, so far. Something mental, then? A particularly strong will?" He paused. "And yet, it can't be random. Every Ghost is drawn to a particular person. Coyote complained for days about how difficult I was to reach. So why not go for someone else? He couldn't. Every Risen and their Ghost are inextricably tied together by the Light. Which means we must have been directly chosen. Did it think we were the best choices to resurrect it? To defend what's left of humanity, now that it can't anymore? That can't be the case, judging by the Warlords. No offense."

He looked at Felwinter and found the exo watching him. He was inscrutable, as ever, lights dimmed.

"I try not to think about it," he said, "or I start going on tangents like that. I did the same thing to Radegast on this very spot a few years ago," he recalled, smiling.

"A few years?" Felwinter asked, lights flickering slightly. A different pattern, Timur noted. Surprise, maybe? "What were you, before then?"

Timur chuckled. "Do I need to have been anything? I was lost, by choice. Trying to solve all the mysteries of the world with nothing but a Ghost and a pencil."

"You still are," Coyote said.

"True, but now we have friends," Timur said brightly. He looked back through the telescope, adjusting it again. "What about you? How does one become a Warlord?"

"If you're considering a career change, you'd be dead within a week," Felwinter said.

Timur put a hand to his chest, looking at him with mock offense. "I'd last a month, at least."

Felwinter huffed. "About... thirty seconds after I was risen for the first time, I was surrounded by a group of them. Citan's gang. He recruited me. After a few months, I got tired of him ordering me around, so I left. He and his have been trying to kill me ever since. Unsuccessfully."

"Clearly," Timur said. He paused, thinking about his own time alone. It hadn't been easy. "If you're interested in backup—"

"Don't."

Timur looked at him. His lights were a little brighter and flickered a few times as he shook his head.

"I enjoy your company, Timur. I have no interest in joining your pack."

Timur sighed and smiled. "Can't blame me for trying," he said. He paused. "Eventually, the Iron Lords will come for you, you realize that, right? We've found your name with other Warlords. If Citan knows where your territory is, so will we."

Felwinter's lights dimmed again. "I'm curious," he said. "When that day comes, what will you do?"

Timur hesitated. That wasn't something he had considered until now. His mind immediately jumped to supporting the Iron Lords. They were his friends. He had known them for a lot longer than Felwinter, and their cause was just. Not that he wouldn't try to convince them _not_ to kill Felwinter, if it came down to it. But he suspected that Felwinter wasn't asking about that. He was asking about a worst case scenario. And part of Timur was uncertain what he would do, in that situation. And that uncertainty scared him.

"I... I don't know," he said, softly.

Lights flickered again and plates shifted slightly, subtly widening Felwinter's eyes. Surprised. And then distracted as his gaze unfocused, looking vaguely over Timur's shoulder. Timur assumed he was getting news from his Ghost. He refocused.

"You should consider it," Felwinter said, as he stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow." He stepped back and transmatted away.

A moment later, a folded piece of paper appeared in his place. Timur picked it up. It appeared to be an old, but suprisingly well preserved, tourism brochure for a place called Vostok Observatory. There was a map of the facility on the back, circled, with a note scribbled next to it.

_Timur, your replication complex? —Felwinter_

"Oh, you bastard," Timur muttered. "He said he hadn't found anything."

Coyote laughed. "Maybe he just wanted to chat for a bit. He did say he enjoys your company."

"He did say that, didn't he?" Timur smiled and tucked the brochure into his robes. Coyote refreshed his coffee and settled down on top of Timur's head as he returned to his sketch, determined to make the most of the lull before tomorrow.

* * *

"Radegast."

They all looked up as Gheleon entered the room. He was moving swiftly, mind still churning. He went straight up to where Radegast sat and halted in front of him.

"Gheleon," Radegast greeted. "What are you doing here?" His actual question was more clear; why aren't you still following Timur?

"I don't need to tail Timur anymore, I know exactly what he's been doing," Gheleon said sharply. None of the others in the room looked particularly surprised. Evidently Radegast hadn't kept the reason for Gheleon's absence a secret.

"You're not going to like it," he warned.

Radegast sighed and gestured for him to go on, looking like he was bracing himself for a worst case.

"He's been fraternizing with a Warlord."

Radegast stared at him, along with everyone else in the room. A few shocked expressions were slowly shifting into anger by the time Radegast spoke.

"What do you mean?" he asked, holding a hand up toward Jolder. "Is it possible he was recruiting them?"

"No," Gheleon said, shrugging. "Look, I'm not sure what's been going on between them, but what I saw was a Warlord approach Timur, Timur didn't make the slightest move for his weapon. They sat together and talked, friendly as anything, and then the Warlord left."

"Damnit!" Jolder exclaimed. "I'm going to kill that idiot!"

"Jolder—"

"He's a _traitor,_ Radegast!" she said. A few of the others nodded in agreement. Gheleon, personally, wasn't certain. Timur was definitely breaking the laws the Iron Lords had set down for their orders, and was in some sort of agreement with a Warlord. He was a traitor, then, by definition. But Gheleon rarely saw things in black and white. He had worked closely with Timur before. The warlock wasn't stupid. He was well aware of the rules he was breaking, so there must be some reason that was worth the risk. In the end, it wouldn't matter. Timur had agreed to their laws and broken them, so he had also agreed to face whatever punishment came with that.

_[ Incoming. ]_

Gheleon snapped, getting the attention of the arguing titans. He hiked a thumb over his shoulder toward the door and then moved aside as it opened. Timur stepped inside, not noticing the rest of them, humming quietly to himself with a dreamy expression. He had a bag slung over his shoulder with his telescope and notes inside, and his Ghost bobbing alongside. He closed the door and looked up, quieting as he saw everyone for the first time. He looked over their various expressions, coming to some sort of conclusion.

"What happened?" he asked.

Radegast stood up. "Timur. The truth. Now. We know you've been working with a Warlord."

Timur tensed, ready to bolt. Efrideet stepped in front of the door. With a swift movement she snatched Timur's Ghost out of the air, holding it in a hand humming with Light to stop him escaping. Timur let out a distressed noise.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "Don't hurt him!"

"I won't," Efrideet said. "I just don't want you disappearing on us."

"Who have you been meeting with?" Radegast asked. "And why?"

Timur didn't take his eyes off his trapped Ghost. "His name is Felwinter. He's been helping me with my research. I didn't lie to you about SIVA. I wouldn't have found it without his help."

"And what have you been giving him in return?"

"Help with _his_ research. He has an interest in the Golden Age as well," Timur said. "I haven't told him anything about the Iron Lords."

"Then perhaps it's time you did," Radegast said. Timur looked at him, startled. "We have a few ex Warlords in our ranks now. Take us to Felwinter and let us make our pitch. You've already broken the Decree, this is your chance to atone for it."

"I don't know where he is," Timur said, flinching slightly. "He always finds me, not the other way around."

Radegast looked at Gheleon. "Do we have any information on Felwinter?"

"Not much," Gheleon said. "He's something of a mystery even among the other Warlords. No one's sure where his territory is, but he doesn't have an army. He holds it alone."

"He's dangerous," Timur said. "So are all of us. Radegast, you know me. You know I wouldn't betray the Iron Lords—"

"Do I?" Radegast asked. "Whether you consider it betrayal or not, that's exactly what you've done. You've completely ignored the laws you agreed to follow when you joined us. Either you take us to him, the next time he contacts you, or you leave now and don't come back."

Timur's eyes widened. He looked at Efrideet, who released his Ghost. The Ghost shot back into Timur's hands and he held him close for a moment before Coyote disappeared. Timur hesitated, hands clenching.

"It's us, or him," Radegast said, tone even but firm. "Make your choice."

Timur closed his eyes and exhaled. He pulled a piece of paper from his robes. "I'm meeting him tomorrow at Vostok Observatory," he said quietly. He looked at Radegast and handed it over. "Give me a chance, Radegast, please."

Radegast looked at the paper and then looked at him.

"Let me talk to him. Let me try to convince him. If we all go, it isn't going to go well. I've seen him in action, we wouldn't stand a chance and I don't want to put any of your Ghosts at risk. Just let me talk to him first."

Perun laughed, humorlessly. "And this is the guy you've been spending time with? Someone you know might kill your Ghost?"

"He hasn't..."

"Yet," she supplied.

Radegast was quiet for a few moments, thoughtful. "I know where Vostok is. There's a village nearby. You can go up the mountain by yourself and we will wait there, in case it goes poorly."

Timur nodded, clearly relieved. "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

Timur looked up as he rounded a corner, coming into view of the gondola station. It looked as abandoned as the one at the base of the mountain. Everything past the village looked as if no one had been through it in a millenia. He wasn't sure what he had expected to find in the village—abandoned, rotting structures, perhaps signs of a massacre—but it hadn't been people. They'd had very little to say about Felwinter, claiming they rarely saw him, but they confirmed that this was his territory. The fact that they had seemingly no protection and yet hadn't been killed by rogue Lightbearers or Fallen gave Timur some hope.

He walked through the gondola station, looking around on the other side. It looked very little like something that could be a SIVA replication complex, but Timur was beginning to suspect that had been a ruse. A sideways way to invite Timur to Felwinter Peak.

Which left him feeling guilty that he had brought the rest of the Iron Lords. A stupid mistake. He should have known Gheleon was following him. He should have noticed.

He was stopped by the appearance of a wolf and then another and then three more. He tilted his head, having just a moment to be puzzled about the collar around the lead wolf's neck before something slammed into him, shoving him up against the rock face, driving the breath from his lungs. He looked down at a familiar horned helmet, trying to lean back away from the forearm against his throat.

"You were meant to come alone," Felwinter said, his helmet muffling what little inflection ever existed in his voice. Timur wasn't surprised he knew about the Iron Lords.

"Plan changed," he said.

Felwinter backed off after a moment, waving a dismissive hand at the snarling pack of wolves that had surrounded them. Timur rubbed a hand on his neck, swallowing.

"We need to talk," he said.

"Clearly."

* * *

Felwinter stared at the wall. He was conscious of Timur growing increasingly uncomfortable as he waited for him to speak. He was content to let him wait a little longer while he sorted his thoughts. He had taken Timur inside, out of the howling wind and snow, into what might be called his throne room. Though he didn't view himself as a Warlord, it was a good intimidation tactic for the few brave or stupid Risen that came trying to follow him. And right now, it gave him somewhere to sit and look down on Timur, despite the Iron Lord being significantly taller than him.

"What happened?" he asked, eventually, looking at Timur. He turned all of his running lights off, keeping his emotions unreadable.

"Gheleon was following me," Timur said. "I don't know for how long. Radegast gave me an ultimatum. Either I bring them to you, or I leave. I managed to convince them to let me talk to you alone. I thought this was a neutral location."

"There are several possible replication complexes within my territory, I meant to invite you here so we could more easily discuss them. It was a risk. I suppose I should have expected this."

Timur looked away. Human expressions were always difficult to read. Their faces were too mobile, able to create far too many permutations of every expression. From what Felwinter could tell he seemed conflicted. He could guess why. That choice that he had spoken to Timur about had come. He was to join the Iron Lords or be forced from his territory. He knew his choice, but he wondered what Timur's would be.

"Since you've so subtly forced my hand, I suppose our arrangement will have to change. Call your compatriots."

Timur left.

Felwinter didn't move, trying to decipher why he felt so strange. He really should have seen this coming, from the moment he had decided to enter an accord with one of the Iron Lords. But still, there was something… He was angry, he decided. But he didn't know why. He would join the Iron Lords, it was the only option. He wasn't losing Felwinter Peak. He wasn't going back to running.

So why did he feel so... Betrayed. That was it. A new feeling, and a pointless one. This was the logical end to the arrangement he had made. But he realized, on some level, he had trusted Timur. From the moment he had been risen, the only person he had trusted was his Ghost, and not even her at times. Everyone else always had their own agenda. Even Timur. But somehow the warlock had gotten Felwinter to trust him enough to bring him here. He would have to be more careful in the future.

He stood up, heading outside, having Felspring put his helmet back on so he could see when they came. He found Timur across the bridge, looking up at the mountain peak. Felwinter hadn't done much with the structures on this side, but they would serve well for the Iron Lords. He couldn't imagine them turning down such a fortress.

"They're on their way," Timur said, not looking at him. "For what it's worth, I am sorry. You have time to run, if you want."

"No."

Timur swallowed. He wasn't wearing his helmet, despite the temperature, and Felwinter could see the nerves set in every muscle of his face.

"Will you fight, then?" Timur asked.

"No."

Timur looked at him, surprised. "Then...?"

"I will join you, contingent on a few things."

Timur smiled. "Ah. Can't say I'm not relieved. I'm not sure I could best you in a fight."

"You couldn't," Felwinter said, turning around when his helm detected movement. He watched as the Iron Lords came across the bridge to meet them, all with weapons drawn but held loosely. Not a threat, but a warning.

"Welcome to Felwinter Peak," he said.

"He wants to join us," Timur said from his side, struggling not to sound delighted.

The lead titan tipped his head slightly. "Timur tells us you have an interest in the Golden Age." He was detouring, then. Felwinter wondered why. Some sort of test, perhaps.

"In the Warmind," Timur clarified for him.

"Hm. He made it sound as if you wouldn't join easily. What changed your mind?" he asked.

Felwinter was quiet for a moment. "Timur has told you about SIVA," he said. "It sounds too good to be true, but I want to help you find it."

The titan nodded. "We think this place would make a good base of operations for us."

As expected.

"Funny. I said the same thing to myself, years ago," Felwinter said.

"So? Would you give up the peak for the cause?" the titan asked.

"If I do, my people get the protection of the Iron Lords?" Felwinter asked. The titan nodded and Timur smacked him on the back, hand resting on his shoulder. Felwinter glanced at him without moving, finding Timur's grin almost manic. He was excited about something. He hadn't moved his hand.


	6. Chapter 6

"Another dead end."

Felwinter didn't react as Timur slammed a Light wrapped fist into a wall, venting his frustration. They had spent the last months exploring the possible replication complexes in Felwinter's territory and each and every one of them had turned up nothing. Just empty ruins. It was infuriating. Timur had been certain they were close, right on the doorstep of a groundbreaking discovery.

And now they were back to square one.

He pulled his hand out of the concrete, shaking it and feeling a few bones knit back together. He turned and found Felwinter watching him impassively, his running lights turned off. He was doing that more and more often, since the Lords had taken Vostok. Timur was getting the distinct feeling the exo was angry with him.

"I hate it when you do that," he hissed, stalking past the exo toward the door, back out into the frigid wasteland of Old Russia.

"Do what?"

"Turn your lights off. I can't tell what you're thinking."

"Exactly," Felwinter replied. His voice was cold. Unfeeling. Had Timur imagined all the times he'd heard Felwinter's quiet laugh? Seen his confusion at his own emotion? All the times those lights have flickered in certain patterns, certain tones of voice. Perhaps he had. Perhaps he had been so desperate to find a soul in a machine he'd projected one onto it and Felwinter was no more human than the Warmind he was so obsessed with.

Or perhaps Felwinter was just still angry with him.

"Then tell me what you're thinking," he said, as they waited for the jumpship.

"That humans are needlessly volatile," Felwinter replied. "A setback. We've reached many of them."

"It doesn't frustrate you? We were so close!"

"Obviously we weren't," he said. His orange eyes narrowed slightly, plates shifting. "Nothing _frustrates_ me. Why does that bother you so much?"

"It doesn't," Timur lied. He forced a smile. "I entered this arrangement to study you, if you recall. I'm just collecting data."

Felwinter tipped his head and didn't reply, neither confirming or denying that he had ever _felt_ anything. If he was human, Timur would think Felwinter was getting some amusement out of watching Timur slam his head into a brick wall. Even the other exos Timur had met showed more emotion than Felwinter. It was almost like he couldn't, though Timur refused to believe he didn't have them. Someone, sometime, had thought it a good idea to make machines with souls. Felwinter was a very good liar, Timur thought, but that was all.

* * *

"He's doing it again, isn't he?"

Saladin sat down next to Timur on his ledge overlooking the slope of the mountain, down toward the village. A moment later, Jolder came around the corner with Efrideet on her heels. He could guess they were escaping the noise at the observatory. That wasn't why he was down here, he was just trying to clear his thoughts, but he couldn't imagine they had all just come to sit with him and contemplate the snow.

"He is," Saladin said. He didn't elaborate on what it was Felwinter was doing. Something unpleasant, probably involving screams.

"Who is it this time? One of Citan's again?" Timur asked.

"I didn't see," Saladin said.

"Wouldn't be surprised," Jolder said, crossing her arms and leaning against the rock. "You'd think he'd run out eventually. Or give up."

Efrideet sat down on Timur's other side. "It's weird, isn't it? He seems to care about those people down there, but he'll still kill others."

"Not anymore," Timur said. "He's been following the rules. Besides, they're Risen. That's the difference, I think. They can defend themselves… Well, they have a chance to, at any rate."

"Mm, how novel," Jolder said. "A Warlord with morals."

Timur laughed. "I'm not sure about that."

Efrideet shrugged. "Well, you should talk to him. Not sure how many more people he can toss off this mountain before Radegast snaps."

"If it's bothering everyone that much, why don't the rest of you go talk to him?" Timur asked. He knew what they meant, of course. Felwinter had hardly changed his behavior since he had become an Iron Lord. He was still reclusive and quiet, hadn't gotten rid of his throne, and occasionally beat a Risen spy nearly to the death. Sometimes all the way to the death. Timur couldn't imagine Radegast was pleased, which was why he had been avoiding everyone, trying to stay under the radar of their annoyance in case he was going to get blamed for Felwinter's attitude problems.

No one replied to his question and he smiled humorlessly. He could guess why. They would never admit it, but they were afraid of Felwinter. With good reason, of course, he was terrifying. They had all seen him in a fight a few times now, on patrols around the fledgling city under the Traveler, driving off Fallen. There was a sort of preternatural movement to him. He was too fast, too strong, even for an exo. None of them harbored any doubts any longer that he had held Felwinter Peak by himself.

Besides, Timur doubted he was the only one who had noticed the gruesome trophy jammed in the back of Felwinter's helmet. He hadn't brought it up.

"I can try, but he doesn't like me any better than the rest of you," Timur said.

Efrideet laughed. "You're kidding, right? I think you're the only one of us he can stand."

"That's just how he is, you'll get used to it." Timur stood and stretched. "I'll give it a try, but don't get your hopes up."


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you doing?"

Timur startled at the voice, grip slipping on the icy rock. He fell, yelping, unable to activate his Light before someone caught him, steadying him on the ledge. He let out a breath, turning to see Felwinter. The exo let go of him and looked up the cliff Timur had been attempting to scale.

"Trying to reach the peak," Timur said, clearing his throat.

Felwinter looked at him for a moment and then turned away. "Follow me."

He set off in a different direction and Timur followed, intrigued. Felwinter led him along a path he had clearly taken before, up gentler slopes and edging along perilous ledges buffeted by the wind. They clambered up snow covered boulders and outcroppings and leapt over a crevasse, listening to chunks of ice clatter down after them. Eventually, Felwinter disappeared up onto a ledge and before Timur could puzzle out how to follow him, he leaned back over, offering a gloved hand. Timur took it, letting the exo help him up.

The ledge he found himself on was sheltered from the wind, looking down over the observatory from nearly the peak of the mountain. Timur exhaled, his breath clouding in the frigid air.

"Ah… what a beautiful view," he said. "You can see the whole Cosmodrome from up here."

"Not entirely."

"Hyperbole," Timur replied. He turned, looking around the ledge. There was evidence of a fire and fairly recent trespassing. He looked at Felwinter. "Do you come up here often?"

"It's a good place to keep watch," Felwinter said, gesturing down at the view they had of the observatory, though the tilt of his head suggested his gaze was focused on the sky.

"And a good place to think, I'd wager," Timur said, sitting down on the edge. There was a part of him that expected Felwinter to kick him over the edge, but the exo sat down next to him, taking his helmet off, Felspring appearing on his other side. It had been a while since he'd last seen her, Timur realized, and wondered if she'd been hiding from the Iron Lords.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked, after a moment of watching the movement of various Iron Lords in the courtyard below. It looked like Perun and Efrideet were sparring.

"No."

"Were you ever?" Timur asked, looking at him, still uncertain how much the exo actually _felt_.

Felwinter thought for a moment. "Yes," he admitted. His lights flickered slightly and Timur realized they were on. He had gotten so used to Felwinter keeping them off. He usually went so far as to keep his helmet on when any of the other Iron Lords were nearby.

"Not to make it seem like I lured you up here to chat, but I've been asked to talk to you about some of your more… Warlord-y behavior."

"Really."

"You know, the throne, the going off by yourself, the occasional noisy torture. It's not really how Iron Lords behave. You haven't technically broken the Decree, but..."

Felwinter made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a stifled sigh.

"Fine," he said. "But I'm not getting rid of my throne."

* * *

"You need to get rid of that throne."

Felwinter looked at Radegast as they walked back toward the observatory. He had done as Timur had asked and made an effort to be more personable around the others. Felspring seemed to find it endlessly entertaining.

"Why?" he asked.

"You're not a Warlord anymore, why do you need a throne?" the titan countered. He had tagged along with Felwinter to look for Timur, after no one had seen the warlock in a few days. No one but Felwinter, at least. He had seen Timur at least once, carrying an unconscionable amount of books to his room. He wasn't sure if he was trying to do more research or if not finding SIVA had driven him insane.

"I like it," Felwinter said. Radegast was right, of course, he'd never had any use for a throne. And he had no real reason to keep it around other than he liked it.

As they entered the observatory, though, he found that someone else had found a use for it. Timur was lounging in the throne with a stack of books next to him, frowning over some ancient tome.

"I was afraid of this," Felwinter said. "The instant I step down another Warlord moves into my territory."

Timur looked up with a bewildered smile. "Was that a joke?" he asked, laughing. "I didn't know you were capable of it."

"Timur… what are you doing?" Radegast asked, sounding tired.

"Research. The chair's just comfortable."

Radegast sighed. "Fine," he said. "Keep me updated." He left, heading back outside.

Felwinter walked over to Timur, sitting down on the step next to the throne. He picked up one of the books Timur had gathered, flipping through a few pages.

"What are you hoping to find?"

"Nothing," Timur admitted. "I'm trying to reset. Chasing after SIVA feels like I'm slamming my head into a brick wall. I need to take a step back, think about something else, try to find a new perspective. These old books rarely hold anything of interest, but they feel more real than data. Something concrete I can hold."

"Hm."

Timur flashed him a smile. "Of course, I could always just turn my attention back on you. I've still got pages of things I'd like to puzzle out about how you work."

Felwinter stood, turning his lights off. "I wish you luck," he said. He turned, an errant hand ruffling through Timur's hair as he left for his study. As soon as he was behind a closed door, he stared at his hand, uncertain why he'd done that. A glitch, he worried. It had been a while since he'd slept.

 _[ I don't think so, ]_ Felspring laughed, and refused to explain herself.


	8. Chapter 8

"That _sound._ It's going to drive me mad."

Timur's Ghost didn't reply, probably because it was the fifth time he'd complained about it today. Silimar had finally finished his schematics for what he was calling the Iron Temple and work had begun on it. They weren't touching the observatory, by request of Felwinter, but across the bridge they were tearing apart the old buildings built into the mountain, remodeling and rebuilding.

It was inescapable. Drilling into Timur's skull, making it impossible to hear his own thoughts. He was tempted to kill himself and make his Ghost wait to resurrect him until it was over.

He stared at the book he had been reading, the same paragraph he had been staring at for half an hour, unable to make it past a few words before he had to start the sentence over, having forgotten what it was about.

And then, for a brief, wonderful moment, it was quiet. Timur exhaled, ears still ringing somewhat. He relaxed.

"Thank the Tr—"

The noise started up again and he shouted, wordlessly, in frustration, slamming the book closed.

Miles away, a Warlord's head slammed into the wall. In pieces. Sending blood and brain matter across the paint, sliding down the wall as he slumped to the floor. A heartbeat later, the Ghost joined its Risen, dropping out of the air as the gunshot echoed through the room.

Felwinter stared down at Citan for a moment and then reloaded his shotgun, reholstering it on his back. He turned away, leaving the office, well aware of what he'd just done. He didn't mind the blood, of course, he had seen much of it since he'd been risen. But he was supposed to be following rules now.

_[ Not for him. ]_

Felwinter agreed, silently. Citan was a lost cause. He wasn't worth keeping alive, but the Iron Lords didn't think that way. They gave everyone a chance. Felwinter was more of a pragmatist. Some people just needed to die. Some Ghosts had chosen wrong.

 _[ Not me. ]_ Felspring said smugly.

"Are you certain about that?"

_[ The Traveler told me to save you, so I can't have chosen wrong. ]_

Felwinter did not have her trust in the Traveler, but he trusted her. Exclusively.

_[ That's not true. You trust Timur. ]_

"No I don't."

_[ When are you going to learn that you can't lie to me? ]_

Felwinter didn't dignify that with a response as he stepped outside. He needed to focus on getting out of Citan's fortress. There would be soldiers waiting for him that he had to get through before Felspring could summon his sparrow. He heard shouting and running footsteps and pulled his shotgun off his back, readying himself.

* * *

Timur stared at the sky, laying on his back on the ledge at the top of Felwinter Peak. He could still hear the construction sounds from up here, but they were muffled. Quieter. He exhaled, watching his breath cloud above him, so focused on the far away sounds from below that he didn't hear the closer ones until a boot crunched in the snow near his head.

He turned his head, looking up at Felwinter, who looked down at him with his head tilted.

"Where've you been?" Timur asked.

"Away," Felwinter said, sitting down next to him.

"Lucky."

Felwinter's lights flickered questioningly, but he said nothing. Timur made a vague gesture out at the open air.

"We need to go somewhere I can get away from this noise."

"Block it out," Felwinter advised.

"If only it were so easy," Timur said sitting up. "The more I try not to focus on it, the more it's the only thing I can hear."

Felwinter didn't reply and they sat in silence for a few moments before Timur got fidgety. He had never been good with silence, always trying to fill it with movement or sound. His Ghost sometimes accused him of trying to avoid his own thoughts, but Timur didn't think that was quite it. When he was quiet and still, the noise of his own brain became unbearably loud. He needed some way to distract it, to burn off that excess energy so it stopped rattling around in his mind.

"You ever get tired of the weather here?" he asked, looking at the cloud laden sky. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but the clouds were always heavy with it.

"No," Felwinter said.

"I guess you don't get cold. Or bored of snow," Timur said. "Or do you? Get cold, I mean."

Felwinter looked at him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to humor Timur's prying. "I suspect I don't feel it in the same way as you, but yes. My internal systems will run hotter to compensate."

"Fascinating."

"If you say so."

"I do," Timur said, smiling. Feeling brave, he reached over and grabbed Felwinter's chin, turning the exo's head toward him and watching the way his face shifted to express his annoyance. He was astonishingly intricate, down to a few delicate engravings on parts of his face. A beautiful display of technology. Timur couldn't imagine who would make such a thing, and why.

"Only fair," he murmured, letting him go. "I wanted to study you and you've given me very little to work with."

Felwinter tilted his head. "And you have given me very little help with my project."

Timur laughed. "I suppose I did distract us both with SIVA. Fine. I'll find something for you, then. Ideally not in Russia."

He stood and jumped off the ledge, buffeting himself with Light as he took the quick way back down the mountain to the courtyard, skidding to a halt in the slush next to the fire pit. Skorri was standing by the fire, humming to herself, and looked up as he landed, stumbling a few steps.

"Graceful," she commented.

"Getting better," Timur said. He looked toward the coming Temple, realizing it was quiet. "Have they finally stopped?"

"For the night, at least," Skorri said.

"Am I the only one driven mad by that sound?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking of how nice the acoustics will be," she said, smiling. "The entry hall will be a perfect place for me to sing your ballad."

Timur rolled his eyes before realizing what she'd said. "My what? There's a song about me?"

"Not yet, but I've been thinking about it," Skorri said, her eyes crinkling up mischievously. "Not just about you, of course, it'll have to be about Felwinter too. You two are practically attached at the hip."

Timur laughed. "Excuse me?"

She grinned. "I'm just saying, every time I see one of you, the other isn't far behind. I would never dream of _implying_ anything, of course."

"Of course..."


	9. Chapter 9

"I know what you are, Felwinter," Timur said, watching as his demons turned on their bretheren, Fallen fighting Fallen on the dunes ahead of him. "And you are no Warmind or even one of its puppets."

Felwinter said nothing behind him and when Timur turned, he was holstering his sidearm. For the Fallen, or Timur? He didn't react, fiddling with the triskelion around his neck, pretending he didn't notice anything amiss—such as the way Felwinter's shoulders had slumped, some sort of relief evident in his posture, before he straightened up as Timur turned.

"Come," he said, gesturing. "You must see this."

Felwinter followed him over the dune and Timur moved slowly, preferring to walk next to the exo rather than in front of him.

"Your tricks?" Felwinter asked, gesturing at the dead Fallen. "I've seen them before."

Timur laughed. "I didn't just bring you to the desert to muse about exos and watch me show off. I brought you for that." He stopped as they crested another dune, pointing ahead at the old facility. A bunker, half swallowed by the desert, the words CLOVIS BRAY visible on the side.

Felwinter said nothing and Timur clapped him on the shoulder, heading down the slope. He heard Felwinter following him, more slowly, and was about to turn and try to keep Felwinter in his sights when his gaze was caught by a flash of light. He paused, looking up.

"Hm. Meteor shower," he said, watching the lights flash across the sky. They were bright. Much brighter than he would have expected. He had just a moment to realize they were headed for him before Felwinter shoved past him.

"Run."

Timur took off after him, sprinting across the sand toward the building, as satellites slammed down around them. One hit the ground only a few yards from Timur, the shockwave throwing him off his feet.

"What the hell is going on?" he shouted over the cacophony as he pushed himself up.

Felwinter ran back, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet, flinging him forward. "Run!" he snapped, shoving Timur toward the facility.

He ran, trying not to pay attention to the explosions around him, focusing on keeping his feet underneath him as the ground shook with the impacts. Felwinter shoved him forward, a hand between his shoulders, just as something hit the ground right behind him, throwing him forward, tumbling over and slamming into the wall. He lay prone for a moment, breathing hard, waiting until the impacts stopped before he yanked his helmet off, spitting out blood into the sand.

Light buzzed through Timur as he sat up, healing what had broken. He stared back the way he'd come, at what had once been empty dunes hiding Fallen traps, now scattered and disturbed by fallen satellites. He watched for movement, uncertain what had happened to his companion.

A small glow caught his attention and he watched Felspring zip around the nearest satellite, taking a few scans, before she shook herself, pushing her shell away. There was a flash of Light and Felwinter appeared, stumbling slightly as he was brought back to life. Felspring vanished and Felwinter looked around, scanning the sky before he joined Timur under the overhang.

Timur stared at him, not sure what to think. One moment he had been sure Felwinter had nearly shot him in the back, yet he had come back for him when he'd fallen, taking a death in Timur's place. Why?

"Next time, run when I tell you to," Felwinter said, almost sounding angry. It was hard to tell with his helmet on—his voice carried very little inflection at the best of times.

"I did," Timur pointed out, still a bit out of breath. "Next time, let me die. I'll be fine."

Felwinter didn't reply.

"What was that, do you know?" Timur asked. "What could have caused so many satellites to fall at once?"

Felwinter was quiet for a long moment, long enough that Timur assumed he either didn't know or he wasn't going to share. "Warmind," he said shortly.

Timur laughed, surprised. "Why is Rasputin trying to kill us?"

"Not us," Felwinter said. "Me."

Timur fell quiet, smile disappearing as he realized this wasn't the first time it had happened to Felwinter. How many times had the Warmind tried to kill him? And why? His assumptions about Felwinter's interest in Rasputin had been entirely wrong. Maybe he wasn't trying to find him, maybe he was trying to hide.

"Why? Do you know?" Timur asked quietly.

"Yes." He hesitated. "I..." Felwinter turned his head away, falling silent. He nodded, minutely, just once, perhaps talking to Felspring.

"I… stole something from him," he said eventually. "The rest I am not ready to tell you."

"Color me intrigued, but fair enough," Timur said. "Since it seems I was wrong about you… do you still want to go inside?" He knocked lightly on the wall behind them.

"There are still questions I'm trying to answer," Felwinter said. He stood. "Until I do..." He offered a hand down to Timur, who took it, somewhat surprised. He smiled.

"Let's go find them, then."

* * *

Felwinter had run the numbers a hundred times. If he hadn't turned around when Timur had fallen, if he had used him to get momentum instead of shoving him forward, he would have made it to shelter unscathed. A few steps had been between him and not getting snapped in half by a warsat, so why had he gone back? Since he and Timur had returned to Vostok, he had spent hours going over those few moments, trying to figure out why he had saved Timur, running every diagnostic he could think of.

"Run it again," he said.

Felspring let out a simulated sigh. "You're not broken, we've checked fifty times."

"We must have missed something. Run it again."

"No," she said. "You saved Timur because he's your friend, that's all. Kind of stupid to take a death for someone who can't die, but from what I've seen having friends makes you do stupid things."

"I don't have _friends_ ," Felwinter argued. "You were the one who taught me not to trust anyone."

"I did, and yet here we are. You could have killed him at the Arabian Shores, you could have let Rasputin hit him, but you didn't."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Why is it bothering you so much?" Felspring asked.

"It's not," Felwinter lied. Why _was_ it bothering him so much? It shouldn't. He very rarely felt anything, why should such a small thing be so confusing and frustrating?

"You were never human, so you don't have the easy emotions that other exo do, but that doesn't mean you don't have them. I mean, look at the Warmind," Felspring said. "He's clearly tempermental. And so are you. Maybe nothing's managed to bring your emotions up before."

"And you're suggesting the first thing to do it is _Timur_?" Felwinter asked disparagingly, knowing he was shoving his annoyance onto Felspring to keep from admitting that she was right. Everything had begun to change when he'd met Timur. The warlock made him feel… He made him _feel._ Weak. Uncertain. He didn't like it.

Felspring shrugged, ruffling her shell around. "I'm just making an observation."

"Keep them to yourself in the future."

She made an offended noise, shell pushing away slightly like she was raising her hackles. Before she could respond, there was a knock on the door. It opened and Timur stepped inside.

"Sorry, but have you seen Efrideet?"

"No," Felwinter said. He had been here since they'd gotten back. There was something about Timur's expression, an uncharacteristic concern, that made him ask, "Why?"

"Apparently no one has. She's gone. Not answering comms. Everyone's out looking for her, I didn't think you'd seen her but I thought I'd ask..." He sighed, seeming at a loss for what to do next.

Felwinter watched him for a moment, watched the confliction in his expression. He could almost guess what Timur was thinking. It was pointless to go out and search—everyone else was looking, if she wasn't answering comms she either didn't want to be found or she had died her final death. But he wanted to search. She was his friend, he didn't want to let her go without trying. Briefly, Felwinter tried to put himself in that situation. He hadn't been that close to Efrideet, so he tried to imagine Timur going missing, if he was, as Felspring suggested, his friend.

He stood up and walked over to the door.

"Let's go look for her."


	10. Chapter 10

"Happy Dawning!"

Timur turned at Skorri's voice as she shoved a mug of hot chocolate into his face. He took it, smiling, and she stood next to him, looking out from his vantage point across the Last City.

"Amazing what difference a few years makes," he commented. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually been _in_ the City, but he had seen it from a distance during patrols, watching the slow growth and the building of walls. It had transformed from a collection of ruins desperately seeking shelter under the Traveler to an actual city with thousands of people in it.

"It's beautiful," Skorri agreed. Particularly so during the Dawning, Timur thought. It was the first the City was celebrating. A new holiday about light and warmth in the dead of winter. The buildings and streets had been decked out with colorful lights and paper lanterns.

She smiled, a wide mischeivous smile that Timur recognized. "I'm surprised to see you without Felwinter, where is he? Too high and mighty to join in the festivities?"

"I wouldn't be surprised, but I believe he's with Osiris."

"He hasn't managed to shake him yet?"

Timur laughed. "Not for lack of trying I'm sure. Even I start to zone out when Osiris talks and Fel's never been the philosophic type."

Skorri's grin widened. "'Fel'?" she echoed. "That's cute, I didn't realize you guys were using pet names already."

"Like I'm going to say three syllables every—wait, _what_?" Timur looked at her sharply, narrowing his eyes. "What are you implying?"

"Don't be obtuse, it doesn't suit you. I've seen the way you look at him—like a moonstruck rabbit."

"I do not," Timur hissed, taking an annoyed sip of his chocolate. _Ridiculous_ , he thought. Perhaps he looked at Felwinter a lot but it was purely scientific. He was studying him, still trying to suss out what made Felwinter different from other exos. Since Felwinter refused to answer questions, that left observation, regardless of the fact that he was enjoyable to watch. Graceful, Timur thought, and then mentally shook himself.

"I keep trying to start a betting pool about when you guys will finally kiss but—"

Timur shoved her off the roof.

He crossed his arms, leaning over to watch her catch herself with Light. She looked up at him, hands on her hips.

"Rude!" she shouted. "You owe me a new drink!"

Timur hopped off the roof, coming to a more graceful landing next to her. "Fine, if you promise to shut up about Felwinter."

She made a gesture of relent, linking her arm with his and leading him off down the winding streets to the hot chocolate vendor she had found. After he bought her the largest mug they had—with extra marshmallows—they headed to the city center. There was a park around a large pond that had completely frozen over and Skorri was insistent that Timur try ice-skating. He wasn't expecting it to end well.

On the way, they were accosted by a herd of children, demanding magic tricks and stories. Timur let Skorri handle the tales, letting one of the children ride on his shoulders as he used his free hand to juggle balls of Light.

When they reached the pond, the children ran off to hassle Shaxx or Saint or one of the other titans.

"Kids seem to like titans best, don't they?" Timur observed.

"Well, Gheleon certainly isn't making it easy for hunters," Skorri pointed out and Timur laughed. "Come on," she said, dragging him toward the pond. "You aren't going to get out of skating with me."

"This isn't going to go well," Timur protested, though he didn't resist.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Skorri said, laughing.

* * *

Timur sat down heavily, leaning against the back of the bench, stretching what felt like bruised ribs.

"I think I broke an ankle," he complained.

"Sprained, at most," his Ghost replied, appearing next to him. Light buzzed through him, healing it, as Skorri laughed, sitting down next to him.

"Oh, poor baby, a sprained ankle," she teased. "Didn't you step on a grenade the other day?"

He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Besides," she went on, "my Ghost got some _really_ good pictures."

Timur shoved her. "Delete those!"

"Not a chance! I'm going to save them to use as blackmail when I need a favor," she said, laughing.

Timur sighed, tipping his head back and watching his breath cloud. He wasn't sure if he was exhausted from following Skorri's antics all day or if it was just from being around so many people. There were even days when Vostok was draining, with the amount of risen who had joined the Iron Lords. The effort almost made him miss his days of wandering. Almost.

"Tired already?" Skorri asked. "You have to stay until sundown at least, that's when the lantern ceremony is."

Timur stifled a yawn. "I'll stay, but I'm not going to be happy about it," he muttered, wondering how quiet Vostok was with most of the Lords here. That was probably the real reason Felwinter had stayed behind.

Or Timur thought he had.

Timur perked up with a smile as he recognized a familiar figure walking toward him, trailed after by several wide-eyed children that he was ignoring. Timur beamed, pleased that Felwinter had come after all. Next to him, Skorri leaned over.

"You're hopeless," she whispered and stood up, greeting Felwinter before distracting his gaggle of children and leading them away.

Timur ignored her, standing up to meet Felwinter. "I'm surprised you're here," he said, honestly.

"I got… bored," Felwinter said, looking out over the pond. "And curious. I wanted to see how the City has come along."

"Well, evidently you're just in time for the lanterns. Come on, I want to get a good vantage."

Timur led him away from the city center, down streets and alleys, looking for an easy rooftop that would afford them a good view of the lanterns. Felwinter didn't say anything as they walked, just looked around, but he seemed more at ease than he usually was—not checking over his shoulders. Timur paused at one of the stalls on the market street, buying a cup of coffee, though his fatigue had all but vanished. They were still encompassed by crowds, but Felwinter had brought something of a reinvigorating air with him. Timur decided not to dissect it.

"There, that looks good," he decided, pointing up at a several story building at the end of the block. The architecture would be easy to scale. He quickly downed the last of his coffee before they reached it, immolating the paper cup with a quick flash of Light.

"Race to the top?" he offered.

Lights flickered into Felwinter's cheeks and he made a noise that was almost a laugh. Timur had never seen that particular pattern before and it distracted him for a moment. He didn't realize what it meant before Felwinter knocked his feet out from under him with a swift movement and leapt up, a gust of Light giving him a headstart as he started to scale the building.

"Bastard," Timur laughed, getting to his feet and going after him, using his Light to give himself little bursts of speed.

Even so, when he reached the roof, Felwinter leaned over the edge, holding a hand down to him. Timur took it and Felwinter lifted him easily over the ledge.

"Cheater," he said, shoving the exo lightly, expecting it to be about as effective as shoving a mountain—Felwinter was generally an immovable object. But the exo gave slightly to it, his lights flickering again. He walked over to the edge of the roof facing the Traveler, and Timur followed, sitting next to him. The sun had set, though the City was never really cast in darkness with the constant, dim, glow of the sleeping god. Below it, they could see the lanterns being lit, flickering lights jumping into life.

"What is this holiday about?" Felwinter asked.

"Light in darkness," Timur said. "So… hope, I think."

"Mm. A fine thing to celebrate," he said.

Timur smiled, leaning against Felwinter before he quite realized what he was doing. Felwinter didn't move, seemingly unbothered, so Timur didn't shift back, enjoying the closeness. He was wrong about what had been draining him all day. Not the crowds or Skorri's indefatigable energy. As much as he hated how she joked about the two of them being attached at the hip, he couldn't deny he had felt a bit off all day without Felwinter at his side. He had missed him. Not even an entire day and he had _missed_ him.

 _Oh, Traveler,_ Timur thought. _She's right._

Felwinter had, without Timur noticing, become something incredibly special to him. Important. And he had no idea what to do about it.

He swallowed, suddenly nervous, aware of every movement he made.

"Your heart rate has increased significantly," Felwinter commented. "What's wrong?"

"Don't do that," Timur said.

"My apologies."

Timur exhaled, trying to slow his heart. What was he meant to _do_? It felt ridiculous. He was a grown man, an immortal wielder of cosmic power, and he was fretting over a newly realized crush. But what could he say? Felwinter had proven himself fairly oblivious to hints and his lack of emotions made Timur certain his feelings would not be reciprocated.

 _Leave it_ , he decided. Appreciate that Felwinter had let him as close as he had.

The lights caught Timur's gaze when the lanterns were set loose and he let out a soft breath. "Oh… It's beautiful," he murmured.

Felwinter said nothing and Timur chanced a glance at him, finding Felwinter watching him rather than the lights. Felwinter tilted his head slightly and then turned, looking up at the sky, watching the lanterns float up toward the Traveler. Cautiously, Timur moved his hand, sliding it into Felwinter's and lacing their fingers together. Felwinter's hand flinched slightly and a heartbeat later, before Timur could take his hand back, he tightened his grip. Neither of them spoke, just watching the lanterns.


	11. Chapter 11

Timur was quiet.

It had never bothered Felwinter before. Or perhaps he had never been quiet before, it was hard to tell. But in the days following the Dawning, Timur had been distant and strange, almost like he was avoiding Felwinter. Felwinter made no special effort to approach him, assuming Timur was sorting something out and would come back when he was ready.

But it felt wrong and _that_ was bothersome. Felwinter was being forced to get used to having emotions and he didn't like it. More and more of them kept seeping up from whatever deep recess they had been locked away in. He saw no reason for a machine to have a soul, no reason for a Warmind to have a soul, and yet here he was, having an existential crisis about having an existential crisis.

He shook himself, trying to focus. Timur had brought him out here for Light training, though he hadn't been specific, just that he wanted to get away from Vostok. Felwinter didn't mind. It was refreshing to have some time alone with Timur. It wasn't that he didn't care for the other Iron Lords. He had become rather fond of several of them, but sometimes he found himself missing how it used to be, when he and Timur would go out on expeditions.

"This seems good," Timur decided, stopping in a fairly open area, with a few old rusted machines to create obstacles.

"Now that you've dragged me out into the middle of nowhere, care to explain why we left our weapons on the ship?" Felwinter asked.

"I want to spar," Timur said, rolling his shoulders and stretching. "Just Light. I want you to teach me that blink-strike I've seen you do. And take your helmet off. No cheating."

Felwinter acquiesced. "Fine. Why here?"

"I suspect you're going to kill me several times, I didn't want Jolder starting a betting ring," Timur said, shrugging. His smile was easy, relaxed. He seemed back to his normal self.

Felwinter nodded, backing up and clapping his hands together, pulling them apart with void wreathing around his fists. "Watch carefully."

Timur shifted, readying himself, the air around him crackling with electricity. Felwinter's first blink was straightforward, giving Timur time to dodge out of the way of his knee strike. By the time Felwinter turned around, he had just a heartbeat to parry as Timur blinked.

He was expecting Timur to mimic his move. He was not expecting Timur to flip midair and kick him. Felwinter skidded backward, taken by surprise.

"Innovative," he commented, not giving Timur time to get his balance back as he launched another attack, going in for hand to hand as his Light built back up enough to blink.

"If I try to knee strike you, I'm going to break my leg," Timur said, dancing backward, parrying and dodging his blows. "But I figured if you can take cues from Jolder, I could take some from Gheleon."

There was a burst of lightning and Timur vanished. Felwinter felt his Light pass through and around him and spun around just in time to dodge Timur's kick. Timur laughed, kicking himself backward with a burst of Light. Felwinter understood his strategy, as he dodged around Felwinter's attacks, staying defensive and rarely striking. Timur was faster than him, taking cues from a hunter, as he'd said. The problem was that Felwinter wouldn't tire. Certainly not before Timur did.

As it turned out, he was wrong. Timur was just waiting for an opening.

When he got it, blinking behind Felwinter again, he felt Timur's Light slam into him, worming into his mind. Felwinter managed to overpower it enough to turn, finding Timur floating, mid-trance, using the extra Light to focus, one hand on his pendant, lightning crackling around him. Felwinter nearly gave in to his Light, almost curious to see what would happen if Timur took control of him, and then something else inside him fought back.

Orange, spiderwebbing light lashed back at Timur, knocking him out of his trance, Felwinter moving against his will as he closed the distance between them, slamming Timur into a concrete barrier. Something snapped and Timur screamed.

The noise jerked Felwinter out of whatever trance he'd gone into as Timur slumped against him, breathing hard. His legs seemed to give out under him, hands gripping Felwinter's shoulders tightly to keep himself upright. He buried his face against the fur of Felwinter's collar, letting out a muffled noise of pain. He said something, stifled in the fur.

"Are you all right?" Felwinter asked, electing to focus on Timur rather than whatever had just happened.

"Can't… feel my legs," Timur said, through gritted teeth. "I think you broke my spine. Coyote?"

His Ghost appeared, taking a quick scan. "Yeah. It'll be easier to just start over," he said, ruffling his shell.

"Great. Kill me."

Felwinter hesitated. Timur's grip tightened on his shoulders and Felwinter put his arms around him, supporting his weight, trying to figure out why he was hesitating. He didn't have his weapons, but he could easily snap Timur's neck or denotate a nova bomb right between them. His Ghost had already vanished again, not in danger. He had seen Timur die several times since they'd met and he had nearly killed him once. It shouldn't be hard.

"Fel..." Timur said, sounding almost annoyed, and Felwinter realized how long he had stood here, not moving.

Felwinter shifted his hands, holding Timur up with one arm and pressing the other against his chest, quickly summoning his Light and detonating it, looking away. He stepped back, turning around and sitting on the blockade, as Timur's Ghost appeared. He crossed his arms, staring at the disturbed snow.

_What happened earlier?_

_[ I don't know. Some part of you just reacted. We'll have to look into it. ]_

There was a flash of Light as Coyote rebuilt his risen, and Timur sat up, coughing. He stood, brushing snow off his robes.

"Well, that was a new one," he said, looking at Felwinter with a grin. That easy, crooked grin. Felwinter didn't reply, not looking at him, and Timur's smile dropped away into puzzled concern. "Fel?"

"Never ask me to do that again," Felwinter said.

Timur didn't move for a moment and then slowly sat down next to him. "Sorry. I suppose I could have got Coyote to fetch my gun from the ship, but this seemed faster. In my defense, you did break my spine." His tone was teasing, clearly trying to lighten the mood. When Felwinter didn't react, he bumped their shoulders together lightly. "Come on, how many Warlords have you killed? Don't tell me you're getting squeamish."

"No. I just don't want to kill _you_ ," Felwinter said sharply.

Timur crossed his arms. "You certainly tried your best earlier. Why is it different when I ask you to?"

"I didn't mean to—I don't know what happened," Felwinter said. That wasn't entirely true. He had recognized that orange light and those patterns. The same that crept across access panels in Seraph bunkers that he could access without knowing how.

Timur made an intrigued noise. "Some sort of instinct? Curious. I've never seen you light up like that before. It didn't feel like Light, either. Something else—"

"Don't do that right now," Felwinter snapped, clacking his jaw irritatedly. He was off-put, both by having to kill Timur and by whatever instinct Timur had ripped out of him. He didn't need Timur analyzing him right now.

"Ah. Sorry. And… I apologize for trying to bend your will. I was curious if it would work, but I should have asked."

Felwinter tipped his head, looking away. "If I had been expecting it, it would have been a poor experiment. Just don't do it again."

"I won't."

Felwinter was quiet for a moment. "There is a difference between self-defense and feeling my Light tear through you or your bones break beneath my hands. I've come to care about you, inexplicably perhaps, but still."

Timur looked at him, seeming almost startled. "You have?"

"I was as surprised as you," Felwinter said dryly. He paused, trying to figure out how to voice his thoughts. "You have… changed me."

"How so?" Timur asked and Felwinter could see him struggling to hide the scientific interest in his eyes.

"You've made me _feel_ ," Felwinter said. "For instance, right now, I'm annoyed because I can tell you're taking notes."

Timur smiled sheepishly, laughing. "Point taken. If it helps, I care about you too." His mood changed rapidly as he seemed almost hesitant to voice that.

"You're human," Felwinter said. "You're used to it. I am… new."

"Exos—"

"I'm not an exo."

That caught Timur by surprise. Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat and he stared at Felwinter. "…what do you mean?" he asked.

Felwinter hesitated, feeling Felspring's wariness. It was their lie. A promise he had made to her and she to him.

"Not entirely," he said.

_[ Felwinter. ]_

He looked at Timur, ignoring Felspring and his better judgement, deciding to chase whatever emotion was driving him to trust Timur.

"Exos are… _were_ human," Felwinter said. "They have human minds. That's why they are the way they are. Why they talk that way, like you. I never was. I have no human mind, no understanding of humanity. I'm… empty," he said, for lack of a better way to describe it.

Timur's eyes widened slightly, from the puzzled interest he'd taken on when Felwinter started explaining.

"Fel… that's not true," he said softly. "Whatever you are or aren't, you aren't empty. I've heard you laugh, I've seen you do things for no other reason than enjoyment, you kept your throne out of spite, you joined the Iron Lords to protect innocents. Whether they're human or not, you have emotions, you have a mind. You're not empty."

Felwinter looked at him for a moment before the lights flickered in his cheeks. "Thank you, but I wasn't being metaphorical. It's difficult to describe how it feels because I don't know how it feels to have a human mind. I was built for something else."

"For what?"

Felwinter hesitated, looking at the sky and hating how the clouds hid it. Less warning of meteor showers. "Rasputin," he said softly.

_[ Felwinter! ]_

Felwinter shook his head sharply, trying to quiet Felspring. He had to know. Timur claimed to care for him, but how could he if everything he knew about Felwinter was a lie? Would that change? He needed to know and he didn't know why. When had he begun to care what Timur thought of him? He shouldn't, yet he couldn't deny that he did.

Timur exhaled slowly. Felwinter watched his hands clench as he started to fidget. His expression was impossible to read and seemed deliberate. Felwinter looked away, disappointed.

"I am trying very hard," Timur said slowly, "to not be very excited about that, because you just became infinitely more interesting to me in a scientific sense."

Felwinter looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not going to make a big deal out of it, because I know it annoys you," he said, still oddly stilted. "Despite the fact that I have a thousand questions."

A strange sort of relief hit Felwinter and his shoulders slumped slightly, involuntarily. Timur wasn't uncomfortable because of him, he was uncomfortable because he was trying to reign in his natural curiosity. That was endearing, in a way.

"That is… thoughtful," Felwinter said. "Almost suspiciously so, coming from you."

Timur laughed.

"Regardless, I appreciate it," Felwinter said, bumping his head lightly against Timur's in a gesture he thought affectionate but that made Timur freeze. He leaned back immediately, folding his hands in his lap and looking away. A hand on his jaw turned him back and before he could process what was happening, Timur had closed the distance between them.

Felwinter stayed perfectly still, not sure how to react.

Timur leaned back, with something of an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," he said, before Felwinter leaned forward, putting their foreheads together. The best he could do to reciprocate. He lifted a hand, pushing it into Timur's hair, finding some fascination with the malleability of his skin. Warm and soft.

Timur's surprised gaze flickered closed and he smiled, tilting his head slightly into the touch with a chuckle. "I hadn't dared to hope you would..." he trailed off, with a breathy laugh. He pressed another light kiss to Felwinter's mouth.

"I must ask you to be patient with me," Felwinter said, after a moment.

Timur smiled. "Don't worry. We've got all the time in the world to figure out what this is."

Lights flickered in Felwinter's cheeks, solidifying into a glow. There was a strange feeling of contentedness that he wasn't sure he'd ever felt before. He was comfortable. Calm. Even here under the open sky. Before he could attempt to voice that to Timur, they were interrupted by a voice over the comms.

 _"Mayday, mayday, all channels, the City is under attack,"_ the voice that spoke was clearly struggling to remain calm. _"Repeat: the Last City is under attack. Fallen on multiple fronts. All risen are called to defense—"_

Timur silenced his comm. "Shit."

"Apparently the world has other plans," Felwinter said, standing up. "Come on."


	12. Chapter 12

Later, they would call it Six Fronts.

The first real battle the City had faced. Their first hard won victory. It lasted for days, every available risen fighting and dying against innumerable Fallen, never once taking a step backward.

To Felwinter it was a blur of constant motion. He held one of the fronts alongside Timur and several other Iron Lords, only falling a few times, though he lost track of how many times Lords fell around him and they all shifted to cover the Ghost. It became a pattern. Firing until he ran out of ammo, using his Light until Felspring could generate more, reload, repeat. It wasn't until Timur was injured that the pattern broke in an unexpected way.

Timur wasn't killed outright. He was speared through the chest by a maurader while he was distracted dealing with a few dregs that had gotten too close. His grunt of pain got Felwinter's attention and he turned to see Timur fall to his knees as the maurader pulled its spear back, bright red blood splattering the snow.

Felwinter still wasn't sure what he did but seeing Timur's blood stirred something in him, familiar, similar to what he had felt when Timur had tried to bend his will. There was an explosion of that orange, spiderwebbing light, and it solidified in his hand into a javelin. In the moment, he didn't question it, using the weapon to clear out the Fallen that had surrounded them. The javelin tore through them, almost easier than Light, leaving nothing in its wake, until he was hit with that deep fatigue that always hounded his steps and the energy left him.

In the lull, he went to Timur's side. He had fallen prone, trying to reach his gun that had skidded away, and had stopped, watching Felwinter. Felwinter grabbed his gun, pushing it into Timur's hands.

"Thanks," Timur grunted. "We're gonna talk about whatever the hell that was, later," he said, and then shot himself in the head. Felwinter looked away.

* * *

Risen were not tireless.

It was a facade they put up for the mortals they protected. They were immortal guardians, weilding the power of a god. Their Light supported their bodies, keeping their muscles from getting tired; their Ghosts healed wounds and bruises, even death. And they had to pretend to be unaffected, no matter how exhausting it was to fight, constantly, for days on end. To die over and over and be brought back again and again.

Felwinter had never really considered this, until the Six Fronts began to end. The immovable phalanxes of risen turned into rotating patrols, chasing off any lingering Fallen, and the rest were given rest in camps outside the City, still ready to defend at a moment's notice. Felwinter had volunteered for near constant patrols, having more resilience than his human and awoken compatriots, and Timur always followed, seeming unwilling to let Felwinter out of his sight.

Eventually, Felwinter was forced to take a break just so that Timur would. And it was as he sat by a fire, with Timur leaning against him dozing, that he thought about how tired the warlock must be. It had been days since he had last slept, kept awake by his Light, forcefully reinvigorated to keep himself sharp during battle. Evidently it had weighed heavily on him.

He put an arm around Timur's waist, waking him up accidentally. Timur shifted closer, readjusting so his head was on Felwinter's shoulder, a hand on his chest. He didn't say anything, and, after a moment, his breathing deepened again as he fell asleep.

Felwinter looked at his hand, flexing gloved fingers, orange light flickering around them as that energy welled up again.

_[ You're going to draw his attention if you keep messing with that. ]_

Felwinter rested his head against Timur's, tucking the energy back away where it belonged, below his Light. _He's left us alone for a while now,_ he thought, to Felspring. _If he didn't notice me using the javelin, perhaps he's given up._

_[ He'll never give up. If anything, he's luring you into a false sense of security. ]_

_We can worry about that later. Right now, people need us. What's the use of being part Warmind if I can't use it to protect them?_

He felt more than heard Felspring's sigh. She didn't reply and she didn't have to. He could feel her conflict; she was proud of him and afraid for him and in the end it didn't matter, because she would never leave him.

He looked up at movement as a patrol came back. Perun, Skorri, and Jolder. Perun nodded to him in greeting, sitting down by the fire. Jolder paused, sighed, and Skorri held out her hand with a smile. Jolder dropped some glimmer into it and Skorri pocketed it before joining Perun, flopping down onto her back with her arms under her head. None of them spoke and there was a strange calmness to the air, considering the chaos that had been here a day before. They were comfortable. Familiar.

 _They deserve better,_ Felwinter thought. The people in the City deserved better. His friends… He wasn't sure when they had become his friends, but they deserved everything.

 _[ That's why we have to find SIVA, ]_ Felspring agreed. _[ Not why you need to become a Warmind. ]_

Timur inhaled sharply, not waking, and shifted against him. Felwinter tightened his arm slightly around his waist, tilting his head to press his face into Timur's hair, closing his eyes and shutting down a few extraneous systems to conserve energy rather than fully sleep.

The City had survived its first battle and rebuffed it, and with SIVA this would be its last battle. That was the world Felwinter wanted to build, the world Timur dreamed of. A second golden age. An age of peace.


	13. Chapter 13

Timur was watching him. Felwinter could almost feel his gaze as he laid a hand over the console and it flashed orange as the Seraph bunker recognized him. He had always come to these places alone, or disguised how he got in, hiding it from Timur. It was almost a relief not to have to pretend anymore, even if it meant Timur dissecting every movement.

"That is… fascinating," Timur murmured as the doors opened and they walked inside. "Why would Rasputin make an exo?"

"I don't remember," Felwinter said. "I only know what Felspring and I have found. We believe I was built to study humanity during the Golden Age."

"Hm. I wonder what changed, then, for him to want you dead?"

"I have no idea," Felwinter said honestly. He could only imagine it was because he had accidentally stolen this body from Rasputin. Turned away from whatever directive he'd had before.

"Well, after we find SIVA maybe we can go ask him," Timur offered, wandering over to one of the computers and setting his Ghost to start hacking into it as Felwinter powered the facility on.

Felwinter huffed. "I would prefer to stay as far away from him as possible."

Felspring headed over to another console and they fell into familiar silence. This was a pattern by now. They knew what to look for and how to find it. Hours passed as they dug into the databases housed here, the silence broken only occasionally by frustrated noises from Timur or quiet humming. And then, as Felwinter looked through maps, he came across coordinates he hadn't seen before.

"Felspring, check these coordinates," he said, giving them to her.

She put them into the console she was working on and a moment later flashed some code up onto the holographic display. "Research center," she said. "Containment facility for something called AMPHION LYRE."

"Amphion lyre?" Timur echoed, walking over to look at the display. "I've seen that before. Siberia."

Felwinter looked at him. "Do you think...?"

Timur grinned. "Site 6. It's gotta be." He clapped Felwinter on the shoulder and squeezed lightly, ecstatic. "We found it." He laughed and ran over to another console, grabbing whatever maps he could.

Felspring drifted closer to Felwinter, her light a little dim. He could feel her uncertainty.

"Wasn't that kind of… too easy?" she asked quietly.

"We've been here for hours," Felwinter replied. "And we've been searching for years."

"Sure," she said. "But not as long as it took to find SIDDHARTHA GOLEM. Not as long as it took to get away from him. Compared to all that, this was… too good to be true." She almost sounded pleading, still keeping her voice quiet enough that Timur couldn't overhear. "After everything, why would he do this? Why would he just drop this in your lap?"

"He didn't," Felwinter said, shaking his head. "We found it."

"He let us find it, Felwinter, I'm almost positive."

"No. We found it." He understood Felspring's concern but he knew she was wrong. This hadn't been easy. It had been years of effort, years of dead ends and frustration, years of watching people die pointlessly when SIVA could have saved them. He couldn't give up hope now.

"If anybody can get Rasputin to cooperate with the Iron Lords, it's us," Felwinter said. As much as he didn't want to talk to the Warmind, he suspected he would have to to end this. "We know him better than anyone. I know him better than anyone. This is it, Felspring. This could change everything."

She didn't reply and she never had to. Her doubts were his and his certainty was hers.

"Ready to go?" Timur asked. "We can go scout it out before we tell the others."

Felwinter nodded.

"Sometimes I wish we'd just stayed on that mountain," Felspring said softly. "Alone."

"Me too," Felwinter said, and it was a lie. He followed Timur to the door, powering the bunker down as he went. "But we didn't."

* * *

"Oh, fantastic," Timur breathed, looking through the scope of his rifle. "It looks completely intact. No Fallen intrusion."

They were perched in a safe lookout, a decent distance from the entrance to Site 6. It hardly looked special from the outside, but Felwinter had identified a few security measures already. The Warmind was here and he was active. As Felwinter had suspected, Rasputin was guarding SIVA. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands, so Felwinter would just have to convince him that the Iron Lords were the right hands.

Timur holstered the rifle on his back and shifted, ready to hop over the ledge.

"Come on, I want a closer look."

Felwinter grabbed his arm. "No."

Timur looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"He's here. Rasputin. We need to be very careful about how we do this."

Timur shifted back. "He's going to try and kill you if you get close, isn't he?"

"Possibly."

"What about me?"

Felwinter shook his head. "You won't be able to get in without me."

Timur hesitated and Felwinter could see his mind working, trying to figure out a way to get closer. Eventually he shook his head.

"Let's go back to Vostok. We've got the location, we can discuss how to approach with the others."

* * *

"Site 6 is locked down, you said that yourself," Saladin said, leaning back in his seat. "With a Warmind guarding it we have no idea what kind of security measures are in place. Golden Age tech is durable. We might be walking into a trap set centuries ago."

Felwinter crossed his arms, standing next to where Timur sat. "Timur and I have broken into countless Golden Age facilities before, and I've infiltrated several Seraph bunkers. Hasn't been a problem."

Saladin shook his head. "The mortar has barely dried on the City walls. We've driven most of the Warlords back but they're watching. This may not be the time for risk."

Felwinter could understand Saladin's worry, though he didn't agree with it. Scarce months had passed since Six Fronts and the City remained fragile. They had built new walls, reinforcing previous defenses, but everyone was aware of what they could have lost. He didn't think that was a good reason to hesitate. With SIVA, they wouldn't have to worry.

"That's not what we're discussing," Timur said. "What about the Warmind? If SIVA's under his protection, he won't take kindly to thieves. We need a way to approach him."

"We're not stealing anything," Felwinter said. He hesitated. "I think I can communicate with Rasputin."

Timur looked at him sharply, unspoken concern in his gaze.

"It's a computer," Jolder said. "It'll do what it's programmed to do, no matter how clever your arguments are."

"Rasputin's primary directive is to protect humanity. He'll listen."

Timur laid a hand on his arm. "You don't have to do that," he said softly.

Felwinter looked at him for a moment and then returned his gaze to Saladin.

"With SIVA we could build more cities. We could help more people. We could create a new Golden Age."

He was well aware how much he was beginning to sound like Timur, but he couldn't help it. Timur's passion was infectious.

"He's right," Skorri said. "We need a way to give back. When you replant a forest, you don't stop after one or two saplings."

They all fell quiet and Felwinter looked between them, trying to see where they were at. Jolder was frowning, but frowning meant thinking. Silimar looked worried. Most were on his side, Felwinter knew, but that meant nothing without a consensus.

"The Golden Age isn't coming back," Saladin said, frowning contemplatively. "But you're right. SIVA could change lives. It feels like a worthy risk."

That launched the others into chatter, talking amongst themselves and considering. SIVA was a consensus, Felwinter thought. The danger of confronting a Warmind had thrown a wrench into it all. Timur's hand gripped his arm tighter, anxiety in his golden gaze as he waited for their answer.

Felwinter moved one of his hands to cover Timur's, an attempt at reassurance. He could understand Timur's anxiety. They had put so much time into this, so much effort. It couldn't end here.

"Well, why not?" Perun said, eventually. "We don't want people thinking the Iron Lords have retired, after all."

Radegast smiled. "Is everyone in agreement?" he asked, quieting the room. One by one, they agreed. Timur relaxed, relieved smile breaking into an excited grin. That dangerous, beautiful grin that had started all of this.

"In that case, we'll start preparations immediately. Every Iron Lord will march on Site 6. If Felwinter can't convince Rasputin to give us SIVA, we will take it by force."

They wouldn't have to, Felwinter told himself. It would work. It had to work.


	14. Chapter 14

"You don't have to do this," Timur said as soon as they were outside. He had practically dragged Felwinter out of the Iron Temple after they had finished fine tuning their plans for infiltrating Site 6.

"You're very concerned about this," Felwinter observed. He didn't understand why. The plan was solid. Felwinter was the only one who had a chance of talking to Rasputin. His personal discomfort was a minor detail and one he could easily overcome.

"I'm concerned about _you_ ," Timur corrected. "You said you wanted to stay as far from Rasputin as you could and now you're volunteering to walk right up to him and have a chat. I've seen what he'll try to do to get rid of you."

Felwinter tilted his head. "What would you have me do, then?"

Timur laughed slightly. "Honestly? Stay here. Let the rest of us go." He smiled. "I know you _won't_ but it would make me feel better."

"Right… And if I'm not with you and none of you can talk to Rasputin and he _is_ guarding SIVA and kills all of you to protect it, how am _I_ supposed to feel?" Felwinter countered.

Timur frowned. "You're harder to argue with when you have emotions," he muttered.

Felwinter stepped up to him, putting his hands on either side of Timur's face, putting their heads together. "Everything will be fine. I promise. We've spent too long chasing this."

Timur smiled. "If I were more of a pessimist I'd say you just jynxed us." He mirrored Felwinter's gesture, taking his face in his hands and kissing him lightly. "Luckily, I'm not. If you're sure, then I'll have your back."

"Hey!" Skorri shouted from the top of the stairs to the Temple. "Come back inside."

"Why?" Timur called back.

"We're having a party and it's practically in your honor," she said, grinning. "I might sing that song I wrote about you."

"Well, I have to hear that," Timur said. He stepped back and took Felwinter's hand. Felwinter let him lead him back inside to the planning room that Skorri had converted. It was always impressive how quickly Skorri could transform a room. Her Ghost's storage must be entirely full of decorations.

As she walked in, she held out a hand and her Ghost materialized a lute. Skorri dropped into Perun's lap and started to play, quietly, background music to the conversation. For one of Skorri's parties it was small. Just the nine of them, the closest friends—though Efrideet's absence was particularly sharp.

They were offered congratulations and conversations that centered around excited musings about what they would be able to do with SIVA.

Felwinter found himself enjoying Gheleon's silent company on the quiet side of the room, listening to Skorri sing some ancient song, watching Timur and Silimar having a conversation that looked more like a contest for who could more excitedly gesticulate. Silimar had scattered design drawings across the table as they discussed ideas for the new City, while Saladin and Jolder interjected with opinions designed specifically to rile the other two up.

As the night crept on toward morning, Skorri eventually gathered all of them together for a picture. Her Ghost quickly materialized a physical copy, which she left on the table with Silimar's drawings. They all looked happy in it. Excited. Even Gheleon had a reluctant smile on his face.

Everyone drifted away, wanting to rest up for tomorrow, and Timur linked arms with Felwinter, walking back to the observatory, to Felwinter's study. It wasn't a room in the traditional sense—he'd never had much use for a bed, though there were some furs for the rare nights he attempted to sleep.

Timur let him go, leaning in the doorway, looking critically at what was less of a bed and more of a sleeping corner. "You know, you might sleep better if you had a bed," he said, something in his tone.

"I don't need to sleep, we've been over this."

Timur shrugged, with a smile. "Just saying. You're welcome to join me in mine," he said, ducking out into the hallway with a grin.

Felwinter stood still for a moment, trying to decipher why Timur's tone was so playful, before he gave up and just caught up to the warlock on his way down the hall to his own room. Felwinter could remember trying very hard to get Timur to stay with the rest of the Iron Lords across the bridge and Timur had very valiantly pretended not to notice, claiming an empty room in the observatory and filling it with the miscellany he found in his travels and a frankly ridiculous amount of books. Felwinter didn't know where he kept finding them, but he suspected the libraries in the City were missing entire sections.

"Excited?" Timur asked, taking his hair down and kicking his boots off as he walked across the room.

"About sleeping with you? More confused," Felwinter said.

Timur burst out laughing. "No! About SIVA!" he said once he'd recovered enough to speak.

"Oh. Of course I am."

Timur shrugged his robes off and draped them over a chair, revealing his underclothes of dark leggings and a sleeveless shirt—how he hadn't frozen to death yet, Felwinter had no idea. "You say as if it's so easy to tell," he said, sitting down on the unmade bed, ruffling a hand through his hair, combing out tangles with his fingers.

"You've been studying how I emote since we met, you should be able to tell by now," Felwinter pointed out, walking over, wondering if Timur really slept like this. Unarmored. He sat down next to him.

"I can," Timur said, grinning. "One of these days maybe I'll let you look at my notes and see how right I am." He leaned back on his elbows, one leg hanging off the edge of the bed, kicking idly, while he looked Felwinter up and down. "You planning on sleeping in your armor?"

"It concerns me that you don't," Felwinter countered.

"How long has it been since someone tried to kill you in your sleep?" Timur asked.

"Not as long as I would like," Felwinter said, though it had been years.

"Humor me," Timur said, lightly kicking him.

Felwinter imitated the sound of an annoyed sigh, which only served to make Timur laugh. He took his boots off and stood, taking off his coat and gloves. Timur sat up properly, grabbing Felwinter's arm and running his fingers over it, investigating joints and plating.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Felwinter asked.

"Maybe a bit," Timur said, grinning. He turned Felwinter to face him, fingers dancing over his chest, hand resting over the power supply that thrummed away, almost mimicking a heartbeat. "Would you be offended if I said I wanted to crack you open and see how you work?"

"A bit," Felwinter echoed, amused. "You should ask Felspring if you're that curious."

"Later," Timur said. He shifted back, giving Felwinter room to join him, and pushed the exo down as soon as he did, making himself comfortable against Felwinter's side. He pulled a blanket up over both of them, laying on one of Felwinter's arms that he wrapped up around Timur's waist. He couldn't imagine metal under ribs was comfortable in the slightest, but Timur seemed perfectly content.

"You're cold," Timur said after a moment.

"I'm made of metal and we're on a mountain," Felwinter said. "Give me a moment."

Timur looked at him curiously as Felwinter accessed his internal systems, shutting off a few fans and increasing the load on a few systems. Not enough to cause him to overheat, but enough for him to get warmer. Timur laid an ear against his chest, listening to things shift inside him.

"What are you doing?"

"Forcing myself to perform at minimal efficiency," Felwinter replied, dismissing the warning that blinked into his vision. He wouldn't produce enough heat while resting for it to be dangerous.

"Mm. Handy," Timur said, snuggling more closely against him. He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers and the lights turned off. Felwinter dimmed his own lights so he wasn't illuminating the room.

After a moment of quiet, Timur chuckled.

"What?"

"It's funny, isn't it? To think of everything that's happened since that day I found you in the Mothyards. You almost killed me—"

"On accident," Felwinter said. He remembered that day. He had been in a skirmish with a Fallen captain and been thrown bodily into Timur, who had been using their fight as cover to steal from the Fallen. Felwinter had broken several of his bones in the impact and afterwards had one of the strangest conversations. Eventually, he would come to learn that's just how Timur was. Bizarre and flighty. Entrancing. Looking back on it with new perspective, Felwinter suspected he had sealed his fate that day, immediately taken by Timur.

Timur laughed softly. "And now here we are. On the verge of changing the world."

"It feels strange," Felwinter agreed. The odds were laughably slim for him to have ended up in the same place as Timur that day, for Timur to have managed to catch his interest quickly enough for Felwinter to decide to follow him. And yet he doubted he could have gotten this far without Timur and the Iron Lords.

"Well," Timur murmured, tucking his face down against Felwinter's chest and closing his eyes. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm glad I met you."

"As am I," Felwinter replied, uncertain how to voice the rest. How much Timur had improved his life. He and Felspring had spent so much time running, so much time alone, and then a warlock had elbowed his way in, making himself at home in Felwinter's life.

He closed his eyes and turned his running lights off so they wouldn't keep Timur awake. He didn't intend to sleep, aware of how vulnerable they both were. Normally when he slept it was little more than a quick doze, back against the wall, Light in his hand. He was always surprised by how quickly Timur could fall asleep anywhere. How comfortable he was here, in the arms of someone who could easily snap him in half. He trusted easily, a sharp contrast to Felwinter's struggle to trust anyone.

As he laid, listening to Timur's soft breathing, feeling the steady beat of his heart, he thought about all Timur had come to mean to him. This was all new to him. He wasn't remembering, he was learning. He wondered if this was what Rasputin had intended, sending that golem out to learn about humanity. He doubted it.

"I love you," he said, feeling that was the best way to express what Timur meant to him.

Timur shifted with a surprised, sleepy noise. He lifted his head and leaned up, pressing a kiss to Felwinter's jaw, before tucking his face against his neck. "I love you too," he murmured.

Felwinter shifted onto his side, pulling Timur more fully into his arms, turning his back to the room. He didn't intend to sleep, but he did. There was an illogical safety that came from not being alone and he slept without realizing it. And he dreamt. Not about the Crypt or that tower in the field, but about Timur. Disjointed memories replaying through his mind, mingling with his hope for the future.

Tomorrow, the world would change. Felwinter and Timur would become the heralds of a new Golden Age. But for the moment, there was nothing but the soft darkness and warmth and each other. Neither of them needed anything else. And if Felwinter had known this was the last time he would hold Timur like this, he never would have let go.


	15. Epilogue

_Nine._

"Please!"

Rasputin had slaughtered them. The snow outside Site 6 would be stained with blood for weeks. Hundreds had fallen around him, cut down by combat frames until Felwinter managed to break into the vault. Radegast ordered the rest to run and the nine of them went on, Felwinter guarding them with the javelin, though he knew the frames were after him. He closed the vault doors behind them and for a moment they were safe.

"Let them go!"

They had made it to the inner chamber. The replication complex. And they had been wrong. They had been so, so wrong.

_Eight._

"No!" Felwinter turned, unable to move fast enough to stop Perun being speared through the chest by red tendrils. She went limp and was pulled into the overgrown, pulsing, mass on the ceiling. He slammed a hand onto the computer, trying in vain to force his way in and override Rasputin. Or even speak to him. He could see that orange flickering on the screens and he knew the Warmind was watching, but he refused to acknowledge Felwinter.

"Please," he begged. "You want me. Kill me. Let them go."

_Seven._

There was an explosion of Light and a chill chased it across the room.

_[ No… ]_

Felwinter looked across the room. Gheleon had fallen. His Ghost, in a desperate attempt to ressurect him, had been devoured. Felwinter returned his gaze to the screen.

"You're supposed to protect them."

Rasputin did not reply.

A shout got his attention and he spun around to see Timur, firing wildly as he ran backwards. He dropped his gun and drew his sword, igniting the flame, immolating the mites as they attempted to surround him. Felwinter ran, summoning the javelin and slamming it into the mass of tendrils that were creeping toward Timur's feet while he was distracted.

"We have to get out of here," Felwinter snapped.

"We can't let SIVA loose," Timur replied, hurling a ball of Light into one of the blooms, detonating it.

"I can't override Rasputin—" Felwinter shouted as SIVA speared through his arm and ripped back, tearing it off with a shower of sparks. He stumbled and Timur braced him.

_Six._

Skorri screamed and there was another burst of Light. Another Ghost devoured. Another scream cut off.

"What are we going to do, then?" Timur asked. Before Felwinter could come up with a reply, Jolder grabbed Timur's shoulder, looking between them.

SIVA was creeping across her chest plate, reaching into her armor, disrupting its sytems. She was breathing hard, unsteady and labored.

"I'm placing charges," she said, voice tight. "Felwinter unless you can do something… We can't let this get out."

Felwinter shook his head, at a loss. She exhaled.

"Okay then. It's been…" She faltered and then simply patted Timur's shoulder and turned away. Radegast followed, covering her as she found strategic places to put the charges.

_Five._

As Timur pulled Felwinter toward the wall, Silimar was grabbed, yanked upward with enough force to snap bone. Another pained, frightened shout cut off abruptly.

Several tendrils grabbed Timur, ripping him away from Felwinter and slamming him into the wall. Lightning exploded out, tearing through the SIVA. It dropped Timur to the floor and he yanked his helmet off, spitting out blood. He grabbed his pendant, throwing out a hand as the tendrils came again, his Light still crackling aroung him, and Felwinter watched, astonished, as the SIVA flinched back. That group of writhing tendrils turned, swarming over one of the blooms and devouring it, leaving them alone.

Timur sat back, breathing hard, blood dripping from his nose.

Felwinter sat next to him, grabbing Timur in his remaining arm and holding him close, pulling his own helmet off. It would do him no good now. "Can you do that again?"

Timur shook his head. "That took… that took everything," he said, grimacing and putting a hand to his side. Felwinter could see the red spiderwebs beginning to crawl across his robes.

_Four._

"I'm sorry," Felwinter said. Jolder sprinted for the door and Radegast fell behind her, giving her time. "I thought… I was wrong."

He had been so certain. He had talked all of them into coming here, leading them straight into their deaths. He should have known it was a trap. He should have listened to Felspring.

"We were both wrong," Timur said. He grabbed Felwinter's hand, holding it tightly.

Felwinter grunted in pain as something stabbed into the back of his head. He could feel it swarming into his mind, taking over internal systems.

"Felwinter?" Timur's voice was far away. "Felwinter!"

He grabbed Felwinter's head, forcing the exo to look at him, and the last thing Felwinter saw was Timur's panicked gaze as he pleaded something Felwinter was unable to hear over the static. The orange light reflected in his golden eyes flickered and turned red and turned off.

_Three._

Timur screamed and it was lost in the sound of the explosion. The last thing he felt was white hot fire.

_One._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! i think this is the first chaptered fic i've ever actually finished! i actually started this over a year ago, i think, and then fell out of love with destiny. picking it back up right before all that felwinter lore dropped sure made writing this exciting!
> 
> thank you so much for all your lovely kudos and comments!! i hope you enjoyed <3


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